Never Wanted to Hurt You
by em91011
Summary: Troy and Gabriella meet over winter break, and then find out that they go to the same school! Troy falls for her, but there's one problem  she has a boyfriend already. Troyella. First fanfic, please be nice!
1. Blue Eyes

It was the first day back after the winter vacation. Gabriella smiled at the familiar faces around her, and the ones that she still didn't recognize, although she had lived in the same town since she was born. She was excited to see her friends and boyfriend again. And speak of the devil…

"Hey, Andy," Gabriella exclaimed, as her boyfriend of six months, Andy, walked up to her.

"Hey, Gabi. How was your vacation?"

"It was really fun. I went skiing at that lodge, as you know. And you'll never guess! I was forced to sing karaoke at the New Year's Eve party!"

"Ouch," said Andy, sympathetically. "Hey, let's get to homeroom."

Her face fell. "I'm not in your homeroom this semester, remember? There was that scheduling issue, and so now I'm in Darbus's. But I'll see you in Geometry, first period!"

He smiled. "See you there."

Gabriella walked off to her new homeroom. She was annoyed that the school had switched her homeroom, because her boyfriend and her second-best friend, Kelsi, were in her old one. Then again, she would be with her best friend Taylor in her new homeroom, so that would be okay.

She walked into the classroom, looking around. There was Darbus, at her desk. There were all sorts of acting things around her. Gabriella knew how much she was into the musicals. Gabriella saw Taylor waving at her, and sat down behind her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a flash of piercing blue. But there was no way, right?

"Ah, Miss Montez. Class, Gabriella Montez has just come into our homeroom from Mr. Hinereich's," Ms. Darbus announced. Gabriella looked over her classmates. There again was that flash of blue, but it was gone again. Gabriella looked at who it had come from. She saw sandy hair, somewhere between blonde and brown, but the head was turned and talking to an African-American boy with an afro.

The head turned to look at her one more time, but she didn't notice because she had her head down. She hated being the center of attention. Well, except for that one time. With him.

Suddenly, her phone started ringing. She checked the caller ID. It said it was from Troy Bolton. But that couldn't be…could it? Piercing blue eyes smiled up at her from her videophone. Gabriella tried to ignore it because she didn't want to get her hopes up. But after Darbus had given out detention and dismissed the class, she felt a hand on her arm. She turned, to see the same eyes that she had seen on her phone. The face she knew she would see was smiling down at her.

"I don't –" she started.

"Believe it," he finished.

"Me-"

"Neither. How long have you been going to East High?"

"Since freshman year. I've lived here all my life. How about you?" she asked the boy she had sung with at the lodge.

"I've lived here since I was born. How come I've never seen you before?"

She blushed. "I've always been the geeky genius girl. Not many people know me. How come I don't know who you are?"

He shrugged. "That I don't have an answer for. I mean, most of the school knows my name. I'm the basketball captain. And, of course, I'm incredibly hot." He smiled at Gabriella, and she laughed. It was funny how she had only seen him once before, but it already felt normal for him to say things like that.

"Watch it, Bolton," she teased, "Someday you'll say that to someone who doesn't agree."

"But you do, right?" He asked her, looking sincerely worried.

She laughed again. "Alright, I admit it. But to answer your question, I don't really follow school sports."

He nodded. "That would explain a lot. Hey, I know this might sound kind of weird, but do you want to come to the driving range with me this weekend? Not on a date, or anything, just as friends?"

"I don't know how to play golf."

He smiled. "Then I'll show you."

"Sure, then. See you Saturday? Two-ish?"

"Sounds good. See you later."

He smiled as she walked off. Although he had said that they were just friends, he knew already that he liked her as more than that. He was even more pleased that she didn't know how to play golf. It would give him an excuse to put his arms around her.

That day at lunch, Troy got his best friend, Chad, to come and sit with Gabriella at lunch. Chad complained about sitting at the geek table, but Troy bribed him with candy.

"Wow. You must really like her, to give me chocolate," he had said when he had made the deal in the gym after basketball practice.

"Yeah, I do," he admitted.

Chad laughed. "Troy's whipped!" he yelled at the top of his lungs. Luckily the gym was empty except for them.

Chad looked at Troy, expecting him to defend himself, but he didn't.

"Fine, I'll come to lunch. But just because I'm being such a good friend and helping you win the girl of your dreams," said Chad, always the drama queen.

Troy laughed. "Thanks, dude."

But when they got to the table, Troy was met with a nasty surprise.

"Hey, Troy," Gabriella said, "These are my friends, Taylor, Sharpay, and Kelsi, and my boyfriend, Andy."

Troy's face fell. She had a boyfriend? But he hid his sadness.

"Hi. I'm Troy, and this is Chad. I'm a friend of Gabi's."

All through lunch, Troy and Gabriella talked and flirted, although Gabriella made sure not to say anything that would hurt Andy. All of the girls were smiling by the end of lunch, because they could tell that Gabi was in love. Even Chad couldn't help but to feel happy for his friend, because he was so clearly happy with Gabriella. The only one who wasn't pleased was Andy.


	2. Golf Day

**Disclaimer: I do not own HSM or any other thing that I mention in this story that I would like to own…although Andy is mine! All mine!**

**AN: Sorry, forgot this last time! New writer! Yay! My name's Emily, and I love HSM and Zac Effron. He is so hot! OK, sorry that the last chapter got off to a slow start, but I had to get the setting down. Please review, it means a lot to me! And also, I welcome constructive criticism, just be nice because I'm a first time writer. OK, I've rambled enough. On with the show!**

Saturday came, and Troy picked Gabriella up just as he promised. As he held open the car door for her, their arms accidentally brushed. Both felt a tingle.

"That's weird," thought Gabriella, "I never felt that tingle with Andy." But she put it out of her head and got in the car. All the ride to the driving range they talked, marveling at how easily conversation was going. There hadn't been a single awkward pause the whole time.

Once they got to the driving range, Troy bought them both 100 balls and got them clubs. Troy had already started when Gabriella came up behind him.

"Hey, I thought you were going to teach me," she said with a pout on her face.

"I can never say no to that pout." He put his arms around her, holding the club on top of her hands. He helped her swing back, and hit the ball.

"Wow, impressive," he said as the ball flew down the driving range.

"What can I say, I learned from the best. Can you help me do another one?" She felt a little guilty letting him hold her, but it felt so right. "And anyway," she thought, "It's not like he has feelings for me. Or me for him," although she wasn't completely able to convince herself of the second part.

He wrapped his arms around her again and together they swung. He was reluctant to let her go, but knew he had to to convince her that they were only friends, and that he wasn't trying to steal her away from Andy.

They hit the rest of her balls like that, and then, because they were enjoying it so much, they hit his.

They drove home. They talked and talked on the way home. They felt so right together, so much that they didn't even know how hard they were falling for each other. When they got home, he hugged her.

"We should make this our Saturday afternoon ritual. Every Saturday we do some kind of sport. "

"I'd like that," she smiled. "How about bowling next Saturday?"

"Sounds good. See you on Monday, okay?" He hugged her again, holding on for just a moment too long.

"See you on Monday," he said, annoyed at himself for revealing his feelings, even in that tiny bit.

"See you then," she said. She watched him drive away, before turning around to see Andy. Worry creased her forehead. She didn't want to hurt him, and she knew that the scene with Troy had been just a little bit too intimate for friends.

"Hey, Andy. How are you?"

He sighed. He could tell that she had feelings for him.

"Not so bad. You? I see you were out with Troy."

She blushed. "We just went golfing. As friends." She wanted to make it clear that she was still Andy's girl.

"That's okay. I totally understand," said Andy, although he knew that nobody became so close so fast and were just friends, even if they pretended that they were. He trusted Gabriella to be faithful to him, but he knew that she couldn't control her feelings.

**AN: Hey, sorry for the short chapter. This story will probably be updated a lot, but in short chapters. Again, please review, it's always appreciated!**


	3. Sparks, Burgers, and Batting Cages

**AN: OK, so I know how this chapter will start, but not where I'll be when it ends. Which is probably what it's going to be like with most of my chapters. And, just to warn you, I am an incredibly cheesy person and I therefore write cheesily (is that even a word? lol.) OK, on with the story!**

Troy and Gabriella became closer and closer as the weeks wore on. Every Saturday, they got together and did some sort of sport. Troy always made sure that it was one where he could touch her in some way, although his guilty conscience nagged at him because she was still with Andy. When they went bowling, he put an arm around her waist and held her hand with his other hand, to help her score a strike. When they played basketball, he lifted her up to get her closer to the basket. This Saturday, they were going to the batting cages.

"Ready?" He always asked this when she came out and got into his car.

"Ready. I think baseball's going to be fun."

"Well, good. And I was thinking that afterwards we could get some dinner?"

"I'd love that," she replied sincerely.

Troy smiled at her. They had only known each other two months now, but it had seemed like years. There was no doubt in his mind any more that he loved her, and he could tell that she loved him, too, and although he never did anything to make her feel that they were more than just friends because of Andy, he had to admit that he was having more and more trouble with it. That day at lunch he had actually sat on his hands to avoid touching her, because he knew he couldn't resist. And so he had made up his mind that today was going to be the day that he asked her the question that he had always wondered, but never dared to ask. But not now. He would ask her over dinner.

When he pulled into the parking lot of the batting cages, she hopped out. He went up and bought them tickets, and then they went into the cage together. First he went, but every time he was about to hit a ball she blew on his neck or tickled him. Finally, he handed over the bat.

"Now," he said, standing behind her and holding her the same way he had done that first time they went golfing, "Get ready…and….SWING!" Together they swung and hit it into the area labeled "Home Run." Gabi jumped up and down and hugged him, Troy lifted her up and spun her around. The next time they did the same thing, and they repeated it until they were out of balls.

When they went to give the bat back, the man at the counter chuckled.

"You two sure make a fine couple. Best wishes to you."

"We're not-" Troy started, but Gabriella cut him off.

"Thank you. Maybe we'll see you again."

They waked back to the car. Troy was puzzled as to why she had told him that they were together, but not upset that she had.

"So, Miss Montez, where should we go for dinner?"

"How about we just go to a diner?"

He smiled at the fact that she was always willing to let him eat what he wanted, even though he hadn't told her that that was exactly what he wanted to do.

"Sounds perfect."

They drove to the diner. Once there, they got a table for two in a booth. Troy stretched his legs out under the table and brushed Gabriella's ankle. To his surprise, instead of blushing, she bumped his ankle back. He bumped hers again, loving that he could touch her, and they started playing a game. Eventually, Troy held his hands up.

"Okay, you win. I surrender."

Just then, the waiter came up. Troy ordered a burger, and Gabriella a plate of pasta. When the food came, they both ate hungrily. Troy knew that he had to ask her the question that he wanted to ask her, but he kept putting it off. Finally, they got back in his car. He knew it was now or never.

"Brie? Can I ask you a really personal question?" He wanted to be sure that it was okay with her first.

"Of course, Troy," she answered at once, "You can ask me anything."

"Well, I was wondering. You've been with Andy for eight months, but I've never seen you kiss or anything, or even hold hands. I mean," he added hastily, "if you don't want to tell me, it's totally fine."

She chose her words carefully before answering. "I don't know. I love Andy, but there just were never any sparks. I would never break up with him because I don't want to hurt him, though."

"It's cool," he told her, "I totally get it."

Troy was happy and sad. He now knew that she may have feelings for him, but he also knew that she wouldn't break up with Andy. He would just have to go on pretending that he didn't love her, that he wasn't falling for her harder and harder every day, because the more he loved her the more he knew she had to do what she had to do.

When they got to her house, they got out of the car.

'Thanks, Troy. I had a really great time."

He smiled and hugged her. For a few moments, they were in heaven, with her head against his chest and him breathing in the smell of her hair, both of them ignoring the fact that this was way more than just a friendly hug. Their hugs had gotten longer and longer with each week, and this one went on for almost five minutes. When they finally broke apart, he whispered, "See you Monday" in her ear and drove away.

She was still smiling when she turned around and saw Andy.

**AN: Oooh, Andy saw their more-than-friendly hug. What will he do? I know, I'll get on with the Troyella fluffy stuff soon. But Andy's still there for now!**


	4. The Speech

**Disclaimer: I do not own HSM or any other stuff in my story…except Andy! Like I said before, he's ALL MINE!!! Sorry, I get overprotective. Same goes for the chapters I forgot/will forget to put this in!**

**AN: Hello again, my lovely readers! I can't believe I'm already on chapter four, I just love the story! OK, here's a boring little piece of info that you probably don't care about: The Speech (you'll know what it is when you come to it) is actually the second thing I wrote (the first comes later on.) OK, enough of me boring you. I present to you, The Speech!**

"Andy," was all that she could think to say.

"Hey. I just came over to ask you if you'd like to come to my house tomorrow afternoon."

"Sure," she replied, relieved that it wasn't anything else, "I'll come by at two. Sound good?"

"Sounds great." He wished her goodnight and left. He knew what he had to do, and although he knew he wouldn't mind, he hoped she would be okay with it.

The next afternoon, Gabriella rang Andy's doorbell at noon.

"Gabi, we need to talk," was the first thing that he said when he opened the door, "Come and sit down."

She sat on his sofa, and he sat next to her.

"Listen," he began, "I don't know how to say this, but we we're not in love. I don't think we ever were. I asked you out so that guys would stop teasing me for not having a girlfriend and you said yes because you wanted to feel safe, you didn't want someone who you loved. **(Confused? Don't worry, all will be revealed ******And we kept it going because we were friends and didn't want to hurt each other. But you're in love now, and I can't keep you from that. And don't go thinking that this is your fault. I know what you can be like, that you can't stand hurting anyone. If anything, I should have ended it sooner, when I first realized that you loved him. Gabi, I love you, but as a sister. I hope we can still be friends?"

"Of course we can," she smiled. She hugged her friend, knowing that this was best and was what should have happened in the first place.

"Now," he said, pretending to be stern, "You know what you have to do when we get to school tomorrow, right?"

"But what if he doesn't feel the same way?"

"Gabi," he said, looking into her eyes, "If I know anything, it's how to tell if a boy is in love. And he loves you just as much as you love him, if not more. I won't let you pass up this chance when you would be so happy together."

She nodded. "See you tomorrow."

The next day, she met Andy outside of school. She held onto his hand tightly, nervous about what was going to happen next. But as soon as she saw Troy by his locker, her doubts vanished. She ran up to him, leaving Andy to follow behind, and pressed her lips against his.

Troy immedietly began to kiss her back, running his fingers through her hair. But then he realized what he was doing and pulled away.

"Wait, Brie, what about Andy?"

"We broke up. We both knew that I love you, not him, and we have his blessings."

"Brie, that's amazing!" He kissed her again, this time letting it go further, deepening the kiss. Andy looked on, smiling. Chad walked up with Taylor. Taylor instantly smiled at her best friend, seeing how happy she was. Chad, on the other hand, grinned and yelled, "Get a room!" at the top of his lungs. Gabriella and Troy sprung apart, blushing. Taylor rolled her eyes and pulled Chad off to talk to him.

"I'd better go to my first class. I'll see you guys later," Gabriella said, and she skipped off.

After she'd gone, Troy just stood there with a huge grin on his face. But just as Andy was leaving, he grabbed his arm.

"Are you sure you're okay with this?"

Andy shrugged. "We were never in love. You guys were made for each other," he smiled. But then he became serious. "But Gabi is like my sister. Don't you dare hurt her."

Troy looked him in the eye, his face completely serious. "I would never."

Andy's face softened and he smiled. "I know. It's just that she really loves you. And it would tear her apart."

"Friends?" asked Troy, holding out his hand.

"Friends." Andy shook it.

**AN: Awww… they're FINALLY together! I know it dragged on but I had to establish (ooh, big word!) that she didn't want to hurt Andy before they could be together. 2 more things:**

**This is FAR from the end. FAR from it. **

**There is nothing going on between Gabi and Andy, they're just really close friends.**

**Thank you to all two of my lovely reviewers, you make me smile when I'm bored in Geometry! It would be wonderful if I had more!**


	5. Tay and Chad's Announcement

**AN: Hello, my lovely, wonderful, amazing, fantastic readers! So this chapter is dedicated to my friend Jessica (aka Peace Is Goodandsoisrent) who not only is reading my story even though she's not the hugest HSM fan, but she is also one of the only people I actually know in school that wouldn't make fun of me for saying (well, writing) the words "Zac Effron is so hot!" So this is for her.**

**Three months later**

It was a Monday morning. Gabriella was at her locker, checking her makeup in the mirror on the inside of the door when she felt a pair of arms around her waist. She turned around to feel lips pressed against hers. She kissed back, and the two of them stood there for a few minutes Troy felt a tap on his back. He pulled away, and he and Gabriella turned around, annoyed. They saw Chad, with Taylor right next to him, shaking her head.

"Chad. How many times have I told you not to interrupt them? It's so disrespectful."

"Sorry, Tay. It's just that it never gets old," he grinned.

Taylor tried unsuccessfully to hide a smile. "So, aren't you going to tell them?"

"Of course, baby," he said, putting his arm around her and pulling her closer to him until their hips bumped. Troy and Gabriella glanced at each other. They knew that Chad and Taylor were close, but they had never seen them act like this, and Chad had called her "Baby." What was that all about?

"We wanted to tell you guys first that we're going out (at this Gabriella gave a little squeal), and that we're co-hosting a party to celebrate. You're all invited. Spread the word," Chad said, smiling down at Taylor.

"Oh my God, that's amazing news!" squealed Gabriella. She and Taylor held hands and jumped up and down. Troy and Chad exchanged looks, their eyebrows raised. Then they both picked up their girlfriends, giving them piggyback rides to Sophomore English, which they all had next.

When they got to the classroom, Troy walked to a (somewhat) private corner and set Gabriella gently down. "Now," he mumbled into her neck, "Where were we?" Gabi laughed and kissed him passionately. He groaned softly as she deepened the kiss. When they finally broke apart, he held her in his arms and looked down at her. "Gabriella, my gorgeous and very hot girlfriend, will you go to Chad and Taylor's party with me?"

"Troy, my adorable, hot boyfriend, I would love to go to the party with you."

"Well, then," he said, again from her neck, "You'd better get an appropriate dress."

Just then, the teacher walked in. "Bolton! Remove yourself from Miss Montez this moment and both of you sit down!"

Blushing, the two got seats, Gabriella right behind Troy. But a minute later, Troy felt a note pressed into his hand.

_Don't worry, my super-hot boyfriend, I'll make sure I wear something appropriately sexy._

He smiled at the note. It was going to be a great party.

**AN: Sorry for the short chapter, but I just felt like lots of majorly fluffy fluff. Go fluff! I'm a huge fluff fan. And I needed to establish Chad and Taylor as a couple. And don't forget to review!!! Even if you just say something stupid that you know that a million people have said before, I love hearing from you!!!!! Lots of exclamation marks!!!!!!**


	6. The Party

**Disclaimer: I do no own HSM, HSM2, any of the songs I mention, or anything else in this story that I wish I owned but don't. Thanks for rubbing it in.**

**AN: HSM2 premiers this week in England! I saw it in the States this summer and it's AMAZING! My little brother actually cried at part of it, and I felt like crying, too! I want to see it again! (If Jessica is still reading this, sorry for putting you through all of the obsessed HSM talk). Now, for the hundredth time, I've talked enough. On with the show!**

That night was Chad and Taylor's party. The four girls, Gabriella, Taylor, Kelsi, and Sharpay, were getting ready in Sharpay's getting ready room. It was full of makeup and hair supplies, as well as all of her clothes. They did each other's hair and makeup, and put on their dresses. Taylor wore a strapless red mini-dress. Sharpay wore a pink sequined halter neck that fell just below her knees. Kelsi wore a baby blue dress that went down to below her knees and had spaghetti straps. Gabriella wore a silver backless dress that hugged her body like a second skin. She had promised Troy a good dress, and she wanted him to like what she was wearing.

Troy, Chad, Zeke and Jason came to the house first. Troy and Chad wanted to see their girlfriends, and Zeke and Jason came because they didn't have anything better to do. The boys knocked on the door. "Come iiin," called Sharpay. They came in, and stopped dead in their tracks when they saw the girls. Troy and Chad soon came to their senses and went over to their girlfriends. Zeke and Jason just stood there, trying to tear their eyes off of the other two. Kelsi and Sharpay reacted differently to the boys obviously checking them out. Sharpay walked over to Zeke and started flirting with him, while Kelsi stood awkwardly, blushing. Jason finally walked over to her.

"Wow, Kelsi. You look…amazing. Listen, I know this is a little late, but would you be my date for tonight?"

Kelsi smiled. "I'll just have to say yes, because we match (Jason was wearing a baby blue tux)." She immediately looked surprised that she had gotten so many words out without turning the color of tomato soup, and then smiled.

_With Chad and Taylor_

"Wow, Tay, I love your dress."

Taylor giggled. "I'm glad you like it. I did it for you."

Chad thanked her with a kiss.

_With Troy and Gabriella_

"I must say, Montez, I approve of your attire."

"I'm impressed myself. I've never heard you use such a big word."

"Thanks…Hey!" said Troy, as he realized what she meant.

Gabi smiled. "What can I say? You asked for a sexy dress, and that's what you got. Happy?"

Troy grabbed her around the waist. "Ecstatic."

_At the party_

Troy and Gabriella were leaning against a wall, drinking punch. Suddenly, _I believe I can fly_ came on. Gabriella squealed. Troy, smiling at her reaction, held out his hand. "May I have this dance?" he asked, playing the gentleman. Gabi took it and they moved onto the dance floor. He put his arms around her waist, pulling her close, and she slung her arms around his neck, until they moved as one. Out of the corner of her eye, Gabriella saw Andy dancing with a girl she vaguely recognized as a girl called Monique who was in their History class, and smiled that he was happy.

"Troy," she said, her head still resting on his chest, "I love you and I always will. Will you always love me, too?"

"Of course, Brie," he said without hesitation.

"For ever and ever?"

He smiled. "For ever and ever."

After their dance, they stood on the sidelines while _Final Countdown_ was playing. "This is fun," Troy said. "What do you think of co-hosting a party of our own?"

"I'd like that. It'd be fun," she said, looking at him. And together, they went back to the dance floor to join their friends.

**AN: For ever and ever! Forgive me for saying it, but I'm proud of myself for coming up with that. It's sweet! OK, I know I say this every chapter, but I really like getting reviews! Next chapter is The Talk/Party Plans. Get excited!**


	7. The Talk and Party Plans

**Disclaimer: I own nothing in this story but Andy, so I am going to keep on saying that he's MINE!!!!! Muahahahaha!**

**AN: So here's yet another chapter, my stupendafabulamazing readers (like the word? lol). This one is more about the storyline and less about fluff. So just warning you. Although there is some fluffiness, I can't resist it!**

"So, red, blue, and silver decorations?" Troy and Gabriella were sitting in her room, talking about the party. His arms were around her where they sat on the bed.

"I think that's good," she replied, "And Sharpay's letting us have it at her house, where there's plenty of rooms, so my mom's agreed to let all of us crash at her house afterwards."

The meaning of her words did not go unnoticed by Troy, who looked at her. "An all-nighter? Does this mean what I think it means?"

Gabi sighed. "We need to have a talk."

Troy looked worried, but Gabriella smiled at him. "I'm not breaking up with you! I just don't think I'm ready yet. I know you are, but I'll let you know, okay?"

He nodded. "I don't want to pressure you."

"Thanks. And hey, I've been meaning to ask you, I thought we could sing a duet at the party?"

Troy shook his head. "I don't sing. That one time with you was amazing, but not in public. Not again."

Gabriella was upset, but she didn't press the issue. "And I think we shouldn't have the chocolate fountain. Girls will just get their dresses messy! How about confetti cannons instead?"

Again, Troy shook his head. "No way. Chocolate fountains are important."

"Don't be stubborn, Troy. Chocolate fountains aren't practical."

"Oh, come on! They're fun!"

"They're stupid!"

"What's stupid is that you say you love me, but you won't prove it!"

"That's it! I'm leaving! See you at the party, asshole."

And with that she stormed out of the room. She ran right to Andy's house. When he opened the door, she hugged him, crying into his chest.

"Gabi! What's wrong?"

"He's just being so stupid, pressuring me to sleep with him!"

Andy was angry. He had promised not to hurt Gabriella. "I'll pulverize him."

But this just made her cry harder. "You can't, Andy. I love him. I just don't want to get hurt again."

Andy was upset, too, now. "What do you want to do? Do you want to cancel the party?"

Gabriella got a hold of herself. "No. It's Saturday, and today's Thursday. Most girls will have already bought their dresses. We can still go to the party and act civil towards each other."

Gabriella walked home, still torn up about Troy. She loved him, but she wasn't sure if he loved her back any more. She didn't know what to do.

**AN: So sad! Now I have to write more so I don't go to bed feeling depressed. Sorry for the short chapter, but I didn't want their breakup to be lumped in with anything else. Next chapter will be about the party! What could happen when they're forced to co-host a party when they're not speaking? I still don't know (well, I know part of it).**


	8. The Second Party

**AN: So this is it! How will they handle it? I'm going to make this my shortest AN ever! (But I can't resist saying: the song that I is in this and the associated part of the story, I wrote FIRST! So it means that it is the part of the story that is the most important to me, and I love it!)**

The night of the party rolled around. Gabriella had opted to get ready on her own, and, although her friends were worried about her, they didn't argue. She slipped on her black dress, not excited for the party at all. She just wasn't in the mood. But she didn't have a choice, so she sighed before going to Sharpay's house.

Meanwhile, Troy put on his tux, also upset. His temper had gotten the best of him and he was sorry, but she wouldn't speak to him so he didn't get a chance to apologize. And now he'd have to go to their party, without her. He didn't know if he could handle it.

Once all of the guests arrived, the party started. Gabriella sat on the sidelines, but she didn't feel like dancing. Her friends came up to her and urged her to have fun, but she wasn't in the mood. Eventually, she said that she was going to the bathroom and slipped outside.

She sat behind a bush, crying quietly. This was supposed to be their party. But he was probably inside dancing, while she was out here, sitting in the damp grass. She could barely hear the music that was so loud inside, from her sheltered area. She knew that she wasn't visible from any angle. As she sat feeling upset, she heard it.

_I miss you_

_I miss your smile_

_And I still shed a tear, every once in a while_

_And even though you're not here right no-ow_

_Wish you could know some-how_

_Life may come and go, but I wish you could know_

_I miss you_

_Shalalala_

_I miss you_

She heard a sigh. "If only I could make her understand how much I still love her, how much I always did, and how sorry I am."

She stood up and walked over to where she had heard the voice, tears in her eyes.

Troy stood in the yard, white as a sheet. "You weren't supposed to hear that."

She gave him a watery smile. "But if I hadn't heard it, maybe I would never have forgiven you."

"Forgiven me?"

"I love you, Troy. I just don't want to get hurt again."

"You know I never wanted to hurt you." **(Where have we heard that before? Hint: it's in 2 places)**

Gabriella shook her head and sighed. "It wasn't you. When I was younger, I fell for this guy. Lucas. But two months later, I found him making out with another girl. It took me a year to trust anyone again. Which is probably why I went out with Andy. I didn't love himthere were no sparks, so I thought I'd be safe. I thought that that was the only way not to get hurt."

"Brie, I'm so sorry." There were tears in his eyes, too, now.

"It's okay, I've moved on. And you know what? I told him I loved him, but it couldn't have been true, because I feel something so much deeper for someone else."

"Who?" he asked, suddenly worried.

"You." And she kissed him. The kiss was soft at first but became more and more passionate as they poured their feelings into it. Troy deepened the kiss, sliding his tongue into her mouth. She did the same, loving the feeling of being held by him. She wrapped her legs around him, slipping her hands underneath his shirt and feeling his muscles ripple as his hands explored her body. He gave a soft groan. When they finally pulled apart, the sat in the wet grass for a long time, their foreheads resting against each other's.

"I love you," he murmured, moving to her neck.

"I love you, too. For ever and ever."

**AN: That was so sniff beautiful wipes eyes! Sorry if I sound self-centered, but this part also almost made me cry! But I'm happy because they still love each other! By the way, did anyone recognize the song? It's the same one from Hannah Montannah where she's singing to her mother. I changed the words a little because I wanted to make sure that it didn't sound like he was singing to his mother, or a dead person. But the tune's the same. Remember, reviews are always welcome!**


	9. The Second Party part II

**Disclaimer: I have never, do not, and probably will never own HSM or any of the stuff I mention. Thanks for reminding me. BUT ANDY'S STILL MINE!!!!!**

**AN: Good day, readers! OK, first of all some confusion has been expressed about the chapter where they break up. When he said "you won't prove it," he DOES NOT mean "prove it [by getting a chocolate fountain, he means prove it [by sleeping with me. That's how he was pressuring her. Gets it? Gots it. Also, thank you for the reviews! This time I'm reading them after finishing a biology test (so I really need them 'cause I'm so stressed). So now that I've finished boring you, here's the next chapter: Party Part Two!!**

Troy and Gabriella came back into the party, holding hands and radiating happiness. Everybody noticed how happy they were. But the first thing that Troy did was whisper in her ear, "I've got to talk to someone. Be right back." She nodded, and he walked off, searching for Andy.

Andy was looking for him, too. When they spotted each other, Andy spoke first. "I can't believe you woud do that to her!" he screamed, not yet knowing that they were back together. "You swore you wouldn't hurt her, and then you do something so terrible!"

Troy stood there, knowing he deserved what he was getting. When Andy was done, he said "I'm sorry. I lost my temper because of something stupid and said stuff I didn't mean to say. I was already stressed out. I know that doesn't excuse what I did, but I paid for it. When she stormed out, I was really torn up. But we're back together now."

Andy looked at him. "I'm not going to ask how it happened, because I trust Gabi to use her judgment. But I'll tell you something. When she came to me, in tears, I told her I would beat you to a pulp. But you know what she said? She wouldn't let me because she said she still loved you and didn't want me to hurt you. I don't know if she told you about Lucas – that's her choice – but she's fragile. Be careful."

Troy nodded. "Thanks, man, I will."

He wandered around, trying to find Gabi. He finally found her by the punch bowl. "Look, Troy," she slurred, "The punch is so pretty, red like a ruby."

Right away, he knew that someone must have spiked the punch. "Oh, well," he though, "At least we won't go home tonight, so our parents won't know." He took a plastic cup full of punch. He didn't want to get too drunk, just in case, but that didn't mean he couldn't enjoy himself a little. He had barely finished his punch, however, when Gabriella grabbed him by the hand and pulled him up the stairs to the room that Sharpay had leant her. She kissed him passionately, leading him over to the bed. She flopped down, and he lay down on top of her, resuming the kiss. He allowed her to take off his shirt, but when she started fumbling with the button on his jeans, he took a hold of her wrists. "Brie."

She giggled "What?"

"Brie, look at me. You said you're not ready. Remember?"

She shook her head, and whined. "But I wanna!"

He looked her in the eye. "Gabriella. You're drunk. I'm not going to let you make a decision that you'll regret later. Now come on. Let's get you to bed."

He led her to her own room, and laid her down on the bed. He was about to leave, when she whined, "I want you to stay here!"

He came back to the bed and lay down next to her, his arms around her. And soon, they were both asleep.

**AN: That was so sweet of him! I know I say that too much, but really. I'm going to end the chapter by reminding you to, again REVIEW!!! Thank you!**


	10. Descisions and Rock Climbing

**AN: Hello again! My 10****th**** chapter in only three days. But what can I say? I love this story. And (gasp) I'm starting to run out of things to say in the ANs. So I'll just write the story.**

The first thing Gabriella noticed when she woke up was that she had a pounding headache and a pair of arms around her. "Oh, shit," she thought, "This can't be good." The second thing she noticed is how uncomfortable she was because she had slept in her dress. Oh. She was still wearing her dress. She turned around to see Troy smiling at her.

"Good morning, Brie." Hearing his voice, all of last night's memories came flooding back. She kissed him, hard, on the lips. When they broke apart, Troy asked, confused, but pleased. "What was that for?"

"I remember what you did for me, last night. When I…you know… I know how much you wanted it. It means a lot to me that you thought of me first."

He smiled down at her. "When you love someone, you're always willing to put them first **(corny much? I'll just shut up now.)**

"Which is why I think that you should come to my house tomorrow night. We don't have school on Monday, and my mom's on a business trip."

He looked worried. Maybe the alcohol still hadn't worn off. "Are you sure, Brie? You know I'll wait."

"Yeah, I know. And that's what makes me sure," she told him. With that she got up off of the bed, grabbed the overnight bag she had packed, and changed into her comfy jeans and t-shirt. Then she got back into bed and cuddled up to his body, smiling when she felt his arms snake around him.

"I love you, Troy."

"I love you, too, Brie."

The next evening, Troy let himself into her house quietly. He tiptoed up to her room and ran over to her, picking her up and twirling her around, setting her on the bed. That night, they were connected in a new way. **(I know this line screams corny)**

**AN: Since this chapter was so short, I'm going to write another one along with it. Why? 'Cause I can. This little AN is just here as an apology: I know that I've only been dealing with sex for the last few chapters, but I wanted to get over that point in their relationship. I think I'm done now, although no guarantees. I apologize also for the vast and inordinate amount of corniness that is therefore also included (lots of big words in only once sentence). But I'll shut up now so you can keep reading.**

Gabriella was in her room, trying to pick an outfit. It was Saturday afternoon, and of course Troy had given her the impossibly hard task of finding an outfit that was suitable for both going rock climbing at a nearby sports center and going out for dinner at a nice restaurant. She finally decided on a red halter neck top and a miniskirt for the restaurant and then added a sweater and leggings that she would wear for climbing and put in her bag. After doing her makeup, she went downstairs, to wait for the familiar sound of the knock, his knock.

She was only kept waiting for a few minutes, however, before she heard it and came outside. "Ready?" came the call.

"Ready. You know, I'm actually trusting you with my life, if you're going to be the only thing holding me in the air halfway up a wall."

He pouted, pretending to be offended. "And you wouldn't do that anyway?"

"Of course I would. I completely trust you."

Satisfied with her answer, he drove off. When they got to the center, he helped her put on her harness and attach herself to a rope. He attached himself to the other end of the rope and watched as she climbed up the wall. They switched positions, and then, after they had attached her to the ground so that she wouldn't fly up in the air, he went up the wall. They continued to switch off until they had been there for two hours and had to go to the restaurant. Troy waited by the bathrooms while she changed, and then they got into the car.

"So, what did you think?"

She considered. "It was fun. And you didn't kill me, which is a plus. Although," she said, grinning, "I knew you wouldn't. What did you think?"

He looked thoughtful before saying, "I guess I like the sport, but what fun is it when I can't even touch you?"

"Well, then, we'll just have to fix that when we get to the restaurant."

They drove the rest of the way to the restaurant, the same one they went to every Saturday. By now everyone knew them. The hostess always gave them the same table, not across from each other, but next to each other because Troy liked to have his arm around Gabriella even while they ate. Troy had both their orders memorized.

Today, they sat at the table, waiting to be served. Their waitress was a particularly attractive new one, who was constantly flirting with Troy, to Gabi's annoyance. But every time she said something, Troy only pulled Gabriella closer to him, and coolly ignored the waitress. Just as she was serving dessert, however, she stage-whispered, "Why don't you ditch the weirdo and come to me?" Troy had unwrapped his arms from Gabriella and stood up, looking the waitress in the eye.

"If you weren't a girl, your face would never look the same again. But since you are, I'll just report you to you supervisor. I think you'll find that he and I are very friendly. And if you EVER talk about my girlfriend like that again, I WILL punch you, girl or not. Now get out of my site," he said giving her a filthy look. He sat back down and put his arms around a happy Gabriella. "That was so sweet," she told him.

"I have something for you," was his reply. He reached into the pocket of his jacket and got out a small box. He gave it to her, and she opened it, her breath catching in her throat. Inside was a gold ring, encrusted with tiny diamonds.

"It's a promise ring," he explained. "It means that eventually I'll buy you another ring that will join us forever."

There were tears in her eyes as she slipped the ring on her finger. She hugged him, burying her head in his chest, while he stroked her hair. "I love you," he murmured, "And I always will. For ever and ever."

She looked at him, his blue eyes piercing her brown ones. "I'll love you, too. For ever and ever.

**AN: That's my favorite line…for ever and ever. (Even though, as Word has thoughtfully pointed out, it should be forever and ever). Well, you can tell 'cause I keep brining it into the story. So now I have to do my bio homework 'cause my bio teacher likes giving out homework. But on the bright side, it's given me an idea for my next chapter! Also, rock climbing: I am a self-proclaimed climbing geek, so I wasn't very good at simplifying the terms and putting them into the kind of normal English that normal people understand. I could have said that Gabriella tied into her harness using a figure of eight knot, as opposed to a bowline, and I could have said that Troy belayed her with a bug, not a gri gri, because a bug is safer and better to use. I could have said that she tried to climb a features route, but switched to a red route half way up. And I could have gone on and on and bored y'all to death. So I decided to simplify it as much as possible. And now I'll shut up. And, as always, I'll end by reminding you: Review!!**


	11. Biology Homework

**Disclaimer: As I am once again reminded by the ungracious (wow. I didn't know that that was really a word) person who forces me to write these, whoever it is, I do not own Troy, Gabriella, HSM, etc. BUT GUESS WHAT? You know Andy? Yep, he's still MINE.**

**Note-ish thing: Definitions from Pearson Prentice Hall**

**AN: My awesomeful readers! So I got the idea for this chapter when doing my bio homework…vocabulary! Yay! UGH!!! But guess what! There's a storyline in this chapter which has been buried in fluff for the last few chapters. There is fluff in this one, too, but there's a story as well. Isn't it magical? **

One Wednesday evening a few weeks from the night of the promise ring, Troy and Gabriella were sitting on opposite ends of the couch, their legs stretched out on the sofa and the bottoms of their feet touching. They were working on their Biology homework: Define each of the following terms and give an example.

"OK, how about Aggressive Behavior?" asked Gabriella, looking in her textbook for the answer.

"Symbolic threat display or a physical struggle between individuals of the same species," he answered smugly, "And an example?"

"That's easy," Gabriella said, "How about that time you threatened that waitress who was trying to hit on you?"

"Hey, she deserved that! So, how about Courtship Ritual?"

"Um, I don't know that one," she said, looking it up. "Oh, here it is. It says elaborate behavior of individuals of the same species before mating." They both burst into laughter. When it finally subsided, Troy was the first to speak. "So that's all it is, huh? That's what our love is? Elaborate behavior?"

"Of course it's not. Now define Communication."

"Umm… communication. Signals among animals that include sounds, odors, visual displays, and touches."

"Oh, so like when you forget to shower and you smell like BO?"

"Thanks." He pulled her onto his lap and looked down into her eyes. He leaned in and their lips locked. She put her hand on the back of his head, pulling him closer and deepening the kiss. He put his hand on the small of her back. They kissed for what felt like an eternity. When the finally pulled apart, their foreheads stayed connected. "Now _that's_ communication," Troy said softly, before kissing her again.

Three hours later, they hadn't got much studying done. They were standing in Gabriella's doorway. "See you tomorrow, hottie," she said.

"I'm going to count on that, Montez."

She laughed. "See you tomorrow, Bolton." And she shut the door in his face. From behind the door, she heard a muffled "Don't I get a goodbye kiss?"

She opened the door, pressing her lips against his smug smile. He looked surprised, and started to kiss back, but then she broke away. "See you tomorrow, Bolton." She closed the door again.

The next day, she felt his arms around her waist. She felt the spark, the same spark that she had felt that first day when they went golfing. She turned around, to feel troy push her up against the locker and kiss her passionately. The kiss became more and more heated until both simultaneously realized that they were in a crowded hallway and pulled away. Breathing heavily, Troy smiled. "I've been waiting for that all night."

"I was counting on that," she murmured. She glanced over his shoulders at the clock. "We'd better get to class. See you later."

"Bye, Brie." He walked away.

Gabriella Turned back to her locker to check her reflection after he had been running his fingers through her hair. She saw something reflected behind her shoulder. She spun around, white as a sheet. "What are you doing here?"

A familiar face leered at her. "I guess you could say I've come back to haunt you."

**AN: CLIFFHANGER!!! I've been planning that since I started writing down ideas for the story in a little notebook. I FINALLY WROTE IT! So this is the plotline part I was talking about. Something's actually happening! So who is it? Whoever guesses it first gets the next chapter dedicated to them, and I'm not updating until someone guesses it, so start reviewing!**


	12. Wreckage and Rape

**Disclaimer: I don't own HSM. Shut up.**

**AN: WOW THAT WAS FAST! So the 1****st**** person to guess guessed who the person is…although I guess I haven't really mentioned that many people, so…yeah. But just like I promised, this chapter is dedicated to ****bkwrm1911****. And good job for getting it so fast…within five minutes of me posting the chapter! So, I won't keep you waiting any longer. I present to you:**

Gabriella saw a shock of messy blonde hair and hazel eyes before she was slammed into a locker – not gently like Troy had done but roughly and painfully. "Stop! Get off-" But before she could finish her sentence, he had started kissing her. She tried to fight back, but he was too strong for her. Suddenly, a voice yelled "GET THE FUCK OFF OF MY GIRLFRIEND BEFORE I MAKE YOU WISH YOU WERE NEVER BORN!" She felt a pair of arms pulling him roughly off of her. She saw a flash of blue and sandy-brown hair spinning around as Troy punched the other boy in the face. He punched him again and again until he was lying on the floor. Then Troy turned to Gabriella.

"My God. Good thing I came back to get a book (Troy had used his power over the student body to get a locker next to Gabriella's). Who is that?"

Gabriella looked at the boy lying on the ground. She pulled Troy around the corner, out of earshot before whispering, "That's Lucas."

Troy's jaw dropped. "_That's the scumbag who cheated on you?_"

She nodded. "I should've hit him more," he growled, "But why the hell did he do that?"

"I didn't want to tell you because I didn't want you to worry about me, but I broke up with Lucas the day before he moved to Florida. The last thing he said to me was 'You'll be sorry.' I brushed it off because I thought he was out of my life for good. But I guess not."

Troy took her face in his hands and looked into her eyes. "You don't need to worry. I'll protect you. Now let's get to class."

Troy protected her all through the school day. He didn't leave her side. Every time he saw Lucas, he gave him a poisonous glare. When he drove her home, she said she didn't want him to leave, so he stayed at her house.

"Hey, Brie, why don't I make us some pancakes," he said, suddenly struck by the thought.

"Okay."

"I'm going to have to leave for five minutes to get some milk. I'll be right back, 'kay?"

She nodded. She went up to her room, trying to convince herself that there was nothing to worry about. Lucas wasn't going to come to her house. But then she heard the crash downstairs. She jumped. She got up from her desk and ran to a corner of the room. Sure enough, Lucas came up the stairs, his face still grotesquely swollen from when Troy had punched him.

"Looks like your boyfriend isn't around to save you. Too bad."

He picked her up and slammed her against the wall. He tore her clothes off her, and raped her. She cried out in pain. It was excruciating, unlike it had been with Troy. She closed her eyes and cried, hoping that it would end.

And there again were the arms pulling Lucas off of her. "I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU TO GET THE FUCK OFF OF MY GIRLFRIEND!!!" Troy's face was red with fury as he picked Lucas up and threw him against the wall, knocking him unconscious. He took out his phone and called the police. Then he turned to Gabriella, who was huddled in the corner. She hadn't moved; she had just slumped against the wall.

Troy went over to her, approaching her cautiously. He had read that there might be some sort of reflex reaction, and he didn't want to scare her. But she let him pick her up and put her gently on her bed. He lay down next to her, holding her while she cried into his chest, pulling the comforter over them.

Eventually she spoke. "It was terrible…it hurt so bad. I just wanted you to come and save me."

He pulled her closer and said, "I'll always be there to save you, Brie. I love you. For ever and ever."

She gave a watery smile. "I'm so glad I have you."

He smiled back. "Go to sleep, Brie. You deserve it after what you've just been through."

She nodded and closed her eyes. He stayed there, holding her, until the police came to imprison the rapist.

**AN: So whaddyathink? Intense enough? I didn't realize until I had finished writing that I had barely breathed the whole time…which just proves that I'm not really thinking ahead. But so far so good!**

**So what happens next?**

**Happy ending**

**A fluff chapter but then something else dramatic or whatever**

**Lucas escapes and comes back**

**Something else**

**I want to hear your ideas! I don't know what I'm going to do next, so I'll just wait until inspiration strikes. Don't worry…I'm the type of person who gets inspired too easily. Adios!**


	13. Talent Show Wishes

**Disclaimer: If I owned HSM **_**certain people**_** would wear shirts a lot less. BUT ANDY IS STILL MINE!!!!!**

**AN: Okay, so I'm going to write another fluffy chapter. I am experiencing writers' block something major. OOH I JUST HAD AN IDEA!!! K, sorry. I now know what to write about. But this chapter is still going to be fluff. Mostly. SO HA! (By the way, and this goes for the rest of the fic as well, **_Italics_ **is Gabriella singing, BOLD is Troy singing, and **_**bold and italics **_**is both of them)**

It was two weeks from the night that Troy had given her the ring. Gabriella was at her locker when she once again felt a pair of arms slung lazily around her waist. She turned around and smiled, putting her arms around Troy's neck. "So, how's life," he asked her.

"Pretty good. So, the talent show's coming up."

"So it is. Wanna go together?"

"Well, actually," she said hesitantly, "I was wondering… I mean, I think it would be fun to… canwesingasongtogether?"

Troy looked confused. "Huh?"

Gabriella took a deep breath. "Can we sing a song. Together."

He bit his lower lip, considering. "Do you know any duets?"

"Well, Kelsi wrote a song... in her music studies class. And she said she wrote it for us."

He sighed. He loved her, and would do anything for her, even if it meant publicly humiliating himself.

"Okay. Let's see this song," he said, because he knew she would have brought copies.

She handed him a sheet of paper. "We both have frees now, let's go into an empty classroom and try it. Kelsi gave me a CD of the piano music."

He nodded. They went into the music room, which was almost soundproof, and sat down on stools. Gabriella put the music in the CD player, and the chords started playing.

Taking a deep breath, Gabriella started:

_Na na na na_

_Na na na na yeah_

_You are the music in me_

_You know the words once upon a time_

_Makes you listen_

_There's no reason_

_When you dream there's a chance you'll find_

_A little laughter_

_Or happy ever after_

_**Your harmony**_

_**To the melody**_

_**It's echoing inside my head a**_

_Single voice (_**single voice)**

_Above the noise_

_**And like a common thread**_

**Hmm, you're pulling me**

_When I hear my favorite song_

_I know that we belong_

**Oh, you are the music in me**

**Yeah, it's living in all of us**

_And it's brought us here because_

_**Because you are the music in me**_

_**Na na na na (**_**oh)**

_**Na na na na (**_**yeah, yeah, yeah)**

_Na na na na_

_**You are the music in me**_

_It's like I knew you before we met _**(before we met)**

_Can't explain _**(Oh oh)**

_There's no name for it _**(No name for it)**

_**I'm singing words I never said**_

**And it was easy **_(so easy)_

**Because you've seen the real me **_(I see)_

_**As I am, you understand**_

_**And that's more than I've ever known**_

_So hear your voice_

_Above the noise_

_And know I'm not alone_

_Oh, you're singing to me _**(ooh, yeah)**

_**When I hear my favorite song**_

_**I know that we belong**_

_**Oh, you are the music in me**_

_**It's living in all of us**_

_**And it's brought us here because**_

_**You are the music in me**_

_**Together we're going to sing **_**(yeah)**

_**We've got the power to sing what we feel **__(what we feel)_

**Connected and real**

_Can't keep it__** all inside **__(oh oooh)_

_**Na na na na **__(oh, yeah)_

_**Na na na na (oh, yeah yeah yeah)**_

_**You are the music in me**_

_**Na na na na **__(oh, yeah)_

_**Na na na na **__(oh, yeah)_

_**You are the music in me**_

_**When I hear my favorite song**_

_**I know that we belong **__(we belong)_

**(oh,) **_**you are the music in me**_

_**Yeah, it's living in all of us**_

_**And it's brought us here because **__(here because)_

_**You are the music in me**_

_**Na na na na **__(oh, yeah)_

_**Na na na na **__(oh, yeah)_

_**Na na na na**_

_**You are the music in me**_

**Yeah**

They stood there, foreheads connected and their arms around each other. Before the moment was over, Troy leaned down and kissed her gently and tenderly. They broke apart. Then they realized that they had started ten feet apart and didn't remember that they had moved. They had put down the music, having read it through once before starting, and that was enough. Troy took a deep breath. "Wow." The experience had made him weak in the knees. Either he had forgotten how intense singing with Gabriella was or it had gotten _way_ more intense as their relationship grew, although, Troy thought, he had been in love with her since the first time he heard her voice.

As soon as the song ended, Troy kissed Gabriella. "Wow," she heard him say. She was still to shocked to speak. She loved singing with him, but this was amazing. She finally got her voice back. "So, what do you think?"

Troy grinned. "I think we'll knock their socks off." Gabriella squealed and squeezed him hard. Troy laughed. "Glad you're excited. Should we run it through again?

She nodded. "One more time, to make sure we remember the words. Then we stop practicing. We don't want to wear the song out."

"I'm not sure we could ever wear that out. That was…"

"Amazing. I know. I don't think there's even words to describe it."

They had both felt it. Something had happened between them, and they knew that that something would never wear out or die.

**AN: Okay, did I overdo it? I was trying to pound home the point that the music was special to them. Okay, on a totally unrelated story, I'm watching **_**Oliver**_** and the little boy who plays him is SO CUTE! I feel so bad for him! They're giving him scraps meant for the dog and making him sleep in a cellar with coffins. Next chapter about the talent show up soon!**


	14. Talent Show

**Disclaimer: FOR THE LAST TIME (ok maybe not) I DO NOT OWN HSM! MEANIES!**

**AN: Oliver just escaped from the evil people that were beating him! I'm excited for the "Food, Glorious Food" song. But until then, I shall write!**

It made Andy smile to see Troy and Gabriella walking down the halls, hand in hand. Everyone could tell that they had become, if possible, even closer in the past few weeks. He loved the fact that someone was making Gabriella so happy.

Kelsi knew why the couple were closer than before. It was because of the singing. Ever since Gabriella had described the amazing event at the lodge, she knew that singing brought them together and that was why she had written the song.

Troy and Gabriella were oblivious to the fact that people stared at them in the halls and muttered about them. They were completely engrossed in each other, living in their own world. It wasn't that they were suddenly acting like a new couple, although there was little difference between the two. It was that they were so close and sweet and affectionate towards each other that they were almost the same person. People were muttering because there was a visible change in both of them. Before, they were happy. Now, they glowed.

The day of the talent show finally arrived. The two were backstage, warming up. Gabriella peeked out from the wings, and saw the crowd. She gasped. "Troy. I can't do this. I can't sing in front of all these people."

He took both her hands and looked into her eyes. "I'm going to be singing for you tonight. Not for anyone else. When I sing with you, the rest of the world disappears. It's just us. Remember that?"

She nodded. "Good," he said. "I want you to look into my eyes and forget about everyone else –"

One of the hosts came up to them. "You're on after him," he said, gesturing to the boy onstage who was finishing up his bird calls. Troy nodded.

"Just forget them. Tonight it's only you and me."

And then it was time. Gabriella did what Troy said, looking into his eyes. She wouldn't sing for the audience. She would be singing for him. Troy gestured to Kelsi to start playing. Gabriella took a deep breath.

_Na na na na_

_Na na na na yeah_

_You are the music in me_

_You know the words once upon a time_

_Make you listen_

_There's no reason_

_When you dream there's a chance you'll find_

_A little laughter_

_Or happy ever after_

_**Your harmony**_

_**To the melody**_

_**It's echoing inside my head**_

Once Troy came in, all of Gabriella's worries vanished, and she just sang. She forgot everyone and everything, because all that was real was the two of them.

_When I hear my favorite song_

_I know that we belong_

**Oh, you are the music in me**

He lifted her up onto the piano and sat up himself, pulling her onto his lap. She looked up into his eyes and his smiling face.

_To hear your voice_

_Above the noise_

_**And know I'm not alone**_

They were down off of the piano now, standing in the middle of the stage, swaying to the music.

_**Together we're going to sing**_

_**We've got the power to sing what we feel**_

They were by the piano, standing on either side of Kelsi, but not taking their eyes off each other's, the hands not holding the microphones were clasped together above their heads.

_**Yeah, it's living in all of us**_

_**And it's brought us here because**_

_**You are the music in me**_

They were back in the middle of the stage, one arm around each other and the arms holding the microphones linked.

_**You are the music in me**_

**Yeah**

It was over. Troy pulled her closer, and kissed her softly. Both their parents were watching, but saw how full of love the kiss was and decided to say nothing.

For a moment, the room was silent. Then the audience burst into applause. Everyone stood up, as the two on stage came to their senses, turned to the audience, and gave a bow. They gestured to Kelsi, who also stood up and bowed. And with that, he lead her off the stage.

The first people they saw were their friends

"That-" started Taylor

"Was-" said Sharpay

"AMAZING!" finished Kelsi.

"Good job, man," said Chad, thumping his best friend on the back, and then in a lower voice, so only Troy could hear, "I didn't used to think it was cool to care about a girl so much but, man. That was… I can tell you really love her and that's cool with me. Congrats."

Troy just grinned, amazed that his best friend had just approved of the fact that he had fallen for a girl, and not just for her looks.

The next people were their parents. They pulled each of their children aside.

"Gabi, that was so beautiful. You really love him, don't you?"

Gabriella had tears in her eyes. "More than you know."

Gabriella's mother pulled her into a hug. "I want you to know that I'm happy for you. And I trust you."

Troy's dad was stunned. His son was in love, and it was clear to see. He didn't even mind that everyone knew. "I can't say I'd generally approve of PDA, Troy," he started, "But I'll make an exception." He put his arm on his son's shoulder. "I'm proud of you, son. Not only for the song but for the courage to sing it."

Troy and Gabriella soon met up again. They were sitting in a corner, his arms around her, when two strange men came up to them.

"My name's Alan Smith, and this is my partner Jonathan Alvin. We're movie producers and we're making a remake of _West Side Story_. We want you to to play Tony and Maria."

Troy and Gabriella were dumbfounded. Finally, he stood up.

"I have a few questions. One, why are you at a high school talent show? Two, why do you want us? I can't act, and Gabi has never even tried it."

Smith smiled at the two of them. Gabriella had stood up, too, and Troy had his arm protectively around her waist. "I have two answers for you, Mr. –"

"Bolton. Troy Bolton. And this is Gabriella Montez."

"Well, Troy, firstly we often come to talent shows. We're talent scouts. We look for talent in participants. And secondly, you wouldn't have to act." His face softened. "It's a love story. And it's clear that you two are completely in love."

They both blushed. "We'll think about it, okay?" Troy told the two men.

"Certainly," Smith assured them, giving them his card, "Talk to you later."

Troy and Gabriella stood there, astounded. They didn't know what had just hit them.

**AN: CHEESY!!!!! Sorry for that, but this was a mushy gushy fluffy chapter. So what do you think? A movie career! So, why **_**West Side Story, **_**I think I hear you begging me not to ask because you know I'll just write a novel on it? Well, it's the high school play this year and I just figured it'd be fun to incorperate it into my fic. For those of you who don't know, it's like Romeo and Juliet. For those of you who don't know Romeo and Juliet, rent the movie. There's a really good Baz Lermhan (spelling?) one with Leonardo DeCaprio in it. And also watch **_**West Side Story**_**. Amazing movie. So, now talking about the fic again, what sould happen?**

**Should they:**

**Accept the roles, go to Hollywood, and star in the movie?**

**Or should they:**

**Decide that it would only pull them apart and leave it alone?**

**It's up to you (mostly), or at least those of you who review!**


	15. Taking the Part

**Disclaimer: Although ANDY IS MINE, unfortunately nothing else in this story belongs to me.**

**AN: Guess what? Another biology test, so I have time once I've finished to write. INNATE BEHAVIOR: AN ACTION THAT IS DONE CORRECTLY AND THE SAME BY ALL MEMBERS OF A SPECIES WITHOUT PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE. Sorry, reflex. So now I'll just start writing.**

Troy and Gabriella were in her room, sitting on her bed. They were still stunned by the offer that Smith had given them. Finally, Troy said, "So what do you think?"

Gabriella thought before she replied. "Well," she said slowly, "I've never thought about acting…but singing we can already do. And he said we wouldn't have to act. And _West Side Story_ is one of my all-time favorites. I think we should do it."

"I don't know, but I love you and I'm willing to let you choose," he told her.

She was touched that he would sacrifice so much for her. "You think we should move to Hollywood and film a movie together?"

He looked into her eyes, his face totally serious. "If that's what you want, then yes. It'll be filmed over the summer, anyway. That's only a month away." He smiled at her. "I think that staying in a five-star hotel in Hollywood would be a nice vacation for everyone."

"Everyone?" Gabriella was confused.

"But of course," said Troy. "We'd have to bring our family and friends along with us, or they'd never forgive us. I mean, making them miss out on a summer in Hollywood?"

She hugged him. "Let's call him now!"

Troy walked over to the phone. He put in on speaker and dialed the number. The ring tone sounded loud and rang out in the silent room. Troy reached for Gabriella's hand and she took his, squeezing it tight. They heard Smith's voice come through the receiver.

"Smith and Alvin, Hollywood producers. How may I help you?"

Troy didn't really know what to say. How do you handle these things? "Um, hi, Mr. Smith. It's Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez…you saw us singing the other night-"

"Ah, yes," Smith replied, "The kids from the talent show. Have you given any thought to the role?"

Troy looked at Gabriella and she looked back, staring in to his brilliant blue eyes. "We'd like to do it," said Troy into the receiver.

"Excellent. Why don't you two come by my office and we'll discuss terms and I'll tell you more about it. The address is on the card I gave you. Do you still have it?"

"Yeah, I have it. We'll come over now."

"Good, then. See you soon."

And with that he hung up. Troy looked at Gabriella. Suddenly, the two of them burst into gales of spontaneous laughter **(does that even make any sense?)**. They clutched at their stomachs, rolling around on the ground. Neither of them knew why, but the conversation had struck them as immesurably funny.

Finally, tears in her eyes from the laughing, Gabriella said, "We should probably go. Troy nodded, and then picked her up and carried her downstairs. She laughed again as he tried to figure out how to get the front door open. Finally, they got to his car. He put her in the passenger seat before going around to the driver's seat.

"You know," Gabriella pointed out, "Neither of our parents know where we're going. Nobody even knows that we've decided to do it yet."

"Oops," he said. Then he handed her his phone. "You call your parents first, and then I'll call mine."

"What about everyone else?"

Suddenly, Troy started cracking up again. "I know the perfect way to tell them."

"How?" asked Gabriella

"Okay, here's what we'll do…"

Twenty minutes later, Troy pulled up to the office. It was big and sleek and scary-looking. He felt Gabriella take his hand, and he squeezed hers. They walked into the building together.

Inside was an expensive-looking lobby. The floors were white stone, and the walls were cream-colored. There were lots of squishy red and brown leather armchairs and wooden coffee tables around. On one wall, there were clocks showing the time in LA, Tokyo, New York, London, and Paris. In front of the clocks was a reception desk. The couple walked up to it and Troy spoke.

"I'm Troy Bolton and this is Gabriella Montez. We have an appointment with Mr. Smith?"

"Ah, yes. Tony and Maria. Right this way."

Troy looked at Gabriella and mouthed at her _Tony and Maria?_

Gabi giggled. They hadn't even talked about the part yet, and people were calling them by the names of the people that they were playing?

They finally arrived at Smith's office. They saw the man sitting at his desk. There were colorful pictures and posters of movies all over the walls.

"Ah, yes. Troy, Gabriella. Sit down. Let's talk about the movie. First of all, it will be shot all during this summer, so you don't have to miss a day of school. Pay is $1000000, not bad for a starting actor. And you, your families, and five of your friends can come to Hollywood for the summer."

Their jaws dropped. A million dollars? That was insane!

Gabriella was more comfortable in this circumstance, however. "Can we see the script?"

"But of course, Miss Montez." He handed them a copy each. Gabriella skimmed quickly through it, making sure she remembered the storyline. Troy naturally skipped straight to the end.

"I HAVE TO DIE!" he yelled when he read the words on the page.

Smith gave him a strange look, and Gabriella giggled. "Troy doesn't know _West Side Story. _I'll fill him in. And we'd love the parts. Thank you."

Troy, forcing himself to get over the fact that he had to die, asked, "The receptionist called us Tony and Maria. Does that happen a lot?"

Smith laughed. "Oh, yes, you'll find that a lot of people have trouble discerning what is real and what is acting. You'll be called by your characters' names quite a lot."

They thanked him and left his office. They walked to the car and were inside before Gabriella burst into laughter.

"What's so funny?"

"The look on your face," she gasped, "when you figured out that Tony dies was priceless."

Troy considered, and then saw the humor in it, too. They drove home in fits of giggles.

**AN: A MILLION EACH! HOLY CRAP! (sorry). Sorry if I got that wrong, too. I know that some make millions, plural, but those are actors who are already well-known. **

**So I'm depressed right now because I was listening to Fergie's **_**Big Girls Don't Cry**_** and NSYNC's (shut up) **_**Girlfriend**_** and Dixie Chick's **_**Landslide **_**(even though I normally can't stand country music) which always depress me because they make me miss my friends from camp. But I can't stop listening to them! Oh, well, I will just wallow in my misery for now. And write more soon…but maybe not tomorrow because it's Yom Kippur. But probably Sunday, and maybe one chapter tomorrow.**


	16. Sleepover

**Disclaimer: Andy is mine, HSM is not. You know the drill. Now go away. Only not really.**

**AN: So even though today is Yom Kippur, I'm writing! Dunno if I'll finish it today, though. You'll just have to wait and see!**

"TROY ANDREW JACOB BOLTON!" Sharpay was screaming in the hallway of East High, "IF YOU THINK FOR ONE SECOND THAT YOU ARE GOING TO HOLLYWOOD AND I AM STAYING HERE, THEN YOU ARE VERY SADLY MISTAKEN!" With each word, she poked him in the chest, causing him to take a step back. Who knew that a five foot three blonde could be so scary?

Gabriella just laughed when she saw the terrified glance Troy shot her. "Relax, Shar. The producer said that we could bring five of our closest friends, and we've decided to bring you, Taylor, Kelsi, Chad, and Zeke."

Sharpay squealed and jumped up and down. "But then why did _he_ (she shot a poisonous look at Troy) tell me you were going alone?"

"He thought it would be funny. He didn't know you would react so…strongly."

But then, not able to stand being quiet for a second longer, Chad broke in. "Did you just say that I get to spend a summer in _Hollywood?_ That's off the hook!"

"I'd have to say the same thing," murmured Troy, so that just Gabriella could hear. They had moved close together, one arm around each other, and faces centimeters apart. He leaned down and captured her lips with his.

"Would somebody please tell the two lovebirds to GET A ROOM!" Chad said, rolling his eyes.

Gabriella giggled, standing on tiptoes to kiss Troy's cheek and whispering, "Meet me in the parking lot after school. I need a ride home. See you then"

Troy smiled and nodded, turning back to Chad to see him making out with Taylor.

"Hypocrite," he muttered before walking away to his last class.

Troy counted down the minutes until school ended. Gabriella normally didn't even ask him to give her a ride home. He had his license, but she wasn't sixteen until June, so he drove her home every day. This must mean she had something planned.

When the bell finally rung, Troy practically ran out to the parking lot. Gabriella was already standing there, and she laughed as Troy hurried over. He kissed her in greeting, but pulled away quickly and then they got into his car. He drove to her house, the thought of finishing the kiss driving him crazy. Finally, they got there. They ran up the stairs to her room. Troy went in and locked the door. Then he ran up to his girlfriend and kissed her, with all of the lust that had been growing during the car ride. She by no means objected, she ran her fingers through his hair, enjoying every minute. Finally, they ran out of air and broke apart.

Troy was dazed, his hair sticking up straight and his eyes unfocused. Finally, he pulled himself together. "I think that was the best kiss of my live," he said, honestly. She grinned.

"Come on, I got a movie for us."

She put the DVD into into the player and turned on the TV. They sat down on her bed to watch. The intro song of _West Side Story_ filled the room. Troy laughed, but didn't protest at watching the movie. He actually got really into it. They sung along when they sung _Tonight_. They laughed together when Baby John and A-Rab fooled Officer Krupke and when Action and the gang sung _Gee, Officer Krupke_. When Riff and Bernardo got killed, Gabriella glanced at Troy and saw tears in his eyes. She snuggled closer. They both cried openly at the end, when Tony was killed. They hugged each other closely until the tears subsided. Then, suddenly, Troy started clapping. Gabriella joined in, laughing through her tears. They spent the rest of the evening eating cookie dough and just talking about life.

Eventually, Troy's parents called to ask if he was there. He explained where he was and asked them if he could stay the night. His parents agreed reluctantly, because they trusted their son. Gabriella's mother was on a business trip. They made macaroni and cheese from a box for dinner and then watched another movie. By the end, Gabriella was asleep in his arms.

Not wanting to wake her, he stayed where he was in her arms and slowly fell asleep.

**AN: So who saw the British premiere of HSM2 last night! It was amazing, but whenever they said something like "We can work this out, but only if we're all in this together" I had to hit my head against something. And did anyone else notice that Miley Cirus was dancing in the last scene? By that time, my parents and uncle were watching with me and I just burst out laughing and they gave me strange looks. Which, naturally, made me laugh harder. So now I'm listening to the soundtrack! My favorite songs are **_**Work This Out**_** and **_**You are the Music in Me**_** (naturally). **_**Work this Out**_** is amazing because it has all of the voices in it. Zac Efron is amazing, but everyone else in that movie has a great voice, too. And I love the dance. Although I sadly don't know it (yet.) So for the next chapter, those of you who are still reading, I'm going pick up the story a little later. Should it pick up at graduation, on the way to Hollywood, or in Hollywood? Please let me know, because I can't start writing the next chapter until I decide!**


	17. Honeymoon Suite

**Disclaimer: So I don't own HSM…yet. Just wait!**

**AN: I FORGOT ABOUT ANDY! I'm really sorry, but I forgot to include him on the trip to Hollywood! So let's all pretend that six people can go to Hollywood and Andy is one of them! Again, sorry! And the reason that Ryan isn't going is because I haven't really included him in the story, so it would be weird to add him in now.**

**BTW, I know I hinted at some Jelsi before, but I've decided I like Kandy better! So sorry all of you Jelsi fans.**

"I'm so excited!" Gabriella said, sitting next to Troy on the plane ride. They all had first class tickets, and between the eleven of them, they took up almost all of the fifteen seats. As well as Troy and Gabriella, Troy's mom and dad were there, as well as Gabriella's mom. And then there were Chad, Kelsi, Andy, Zeke, Taylor, and Sharpay.

Gabriella's mother, sitting on her own at the back of the compartment, laughed as the she saw the humor in the scene. Everyone was paired up with someone: Chad and Taylor were sitting next to each other, arms around each other. Zeke was grinning as Sharpay put a hot towel on her face next to him. Kelsi and Andy were talking animatedly, and Troy and Gabriella…well, if they got any closer together, she would be in his lap. For a moment she questioned the choice that she and the Boltons had made to give the two adjoining rooms, but in the end she knew that she trusted her Gabi to make good choices, and she could see how much the two loved each other and that Troy would never hurt her, especially after the talent show.

Troy and Gabriella were watching the same movie, arms wrapped around each other in their seats. Every once in a while, they would stop to talk about something in the movie or point out things that the actors had done.

When the plane finally touched down, the large group went through security and then through to get their bags. Troy was carrying both his and Gabriella's and looking around for the car that was going to take them to their hotel. They were still on airport property, so they hadn't seen any of Hollywood yet. They had ordered three chauffered convertible cars for all of them.

When the cars finally arrived, they piled in. Troy, Gabriella, Taylor, and Chad took the first one. Chad sat up front "So the lovebirds don't have to be separated from each other for even one moment," he said, rolling his eyes at the loved up couple. The two just smiled and thanked him. "Seriously, though," Chad started, "When was the last time that you two were not actually in bodily contact?"

Troy thought for a second before saying, "Probably when I got up to go to the bathroom on the plane."

Chad rolled his eyes again and was about to respond before Gabriella and Taylor started screaming. The boys clapped their hands over their ears until the screaming ended.

"Ohmygodthatwasjustintimberlake!!!!!" Gabriella shouted.

"What?" asked Troy and Chad together, completely confused by their girlfriends' behavior

"That. Was." Said Taylor, slowly

"Justin. Timberlake." Finished Gabriella.

"So why the screaming?" asked Troy, still confused.

"BECAUSE HE'S HOT!" the girls yelled at them.

Troy looked hurt. "I thought I was hot. How come you don't scream when you see me?"

"Aw, baby, of course I think you're hot. I told you that the first day at East High, remember? I just don't what to damage your hearing."

Troy smiled and kissed her. Chad looked back at them in disbelief. "You two actually disgust me. I bet you couldn't go an hour without kissing."

"Could so!" the two replied together.

"Could not!"

"Could!"

"Couldn't!"

"Could!"

"Cou-"

But Chad was interrupted by Taylor. "Why don't just bet on it?"

"Good idea. One hour, starting now. If you kiss, you give me twenty dollars each. But if you don't I give you ten each. Remember, you're the ones with the million dollar paycheques."

Troy shrugged and looked at Gabriella. She nodded, and they shook hands.

Chad was grinning. "You won't last five minutes. You seriously think you could go an hour without kissing?"

Troy looked him straight in the eye, completely seriously. "When you love someone as much as I love Gabriella, just being with them is enough. I love to kiss her, but I could live without it as long as I still knew that she loved me."

Chad looked taken aback at his friends sincere words. Taylor had tears in her eyes. "That is one of the sweetest things I've ever heard anyone say," she told him.

"And I agree," murmured Gabriella, nuzzling his nose, but making sure that their lips didn't come in contact.

The car ride lasted another half hour, before they got to the hotel. They gasped as they walked into reception. There was an ornate carpet under their feet. Above their heads, chandeliers, dripping with crystal, glittered. All around them there were chairs and sofas. They went up to the reception desk. Their reservations had been made separately, to make the whole thing easier.

"We have adjoining double rooms, Bolton and Montez?"

"Ah, yes, the soon-to-be-movie stars. There's been an issue with the booking. It seems that the person who booked your tickets accidnentally put you in the honeymoon suite. The rooms you requested are already booked, but I can get you a single room next to the honeymoon suite. Is that okay?"

Troy and Gabriella exchanged glances, barely concealing their glee. "I think that would be okay," Troy said, putting his arm around Gabriella.

"Well, then, I'll get someone to show you there."

"Oh, that's okay," said Troy, "We can find our own way up. And we'll take our bags."

The receptionist looked surprised, but she gave them their keys and pointed them to the elevators. Troy picked up the bags and they waked over to the elevators. They were on the sixtieth floor, so they had a few minutes in it. Troy put down the bags. Gabriella was leaning against a corner. He went up to her, leaning against the wall. Gabriella waited until they were an inch apart before putting her finger on his lips.

"No kissing, remember?" Troy groaned, spun around on one foot, his arms in the air, and when he had gone a full circle, stomped his other foot onto the ground, crossing his arms. "How much longer?" Gabriella looked at her watch. "Only ten minutes."

"I'm not sure I can last that long."

Gabriella put her hand to his cheek. He took her wrist with his other hand. Just then, though, the doors opened. They jumped apart, although nobody was standing waiting for the elevator.

Troy grabbed their bags and led the way to the honeymoon suite. "So, I'll take the single room, and you can have the honeymoon suite."

Gabriella looked into his light blue eyes, drowning in them. "You don't have to do that for me."

Troy smiled and opened the door to the single room. "Yeah, but I want to."

He dropped his bag inside before going to the honeymoon suite next door. He swung open the door. They gasped.

The carpet was pink, and thick so it squished beneath their feet. The room was huge, with a pink loveseat at the back. The bed was in the middle, shaped like a heart. There were silk pillows piled on it. There were a few buttons on the walls. Troy moved over to the nearest one and pressed it. The lights dimmed and music began to play. He pressed it again, and the lights came back on and the music stopped. He and Gabriella exchanged glances, their eyes dancing with laughter. He went to the next button. Right behind Gabriella, a hidden closet opened to reveal a selection of brand new lingere. Gabriella giggled, but Troy just looked scared. He pressed the button again and the closet doors closed, and looked innocently like a wall again. He went over to the third button, almost afraid of what he would see. He pressed it tentatively, and a drawer whizzed out of a wall. It was full of condoms. This combined with Troy's expression was too much for Gabriella. She burst into laugher, clutching her stomach and rolling on the ground. Troy's face changed.

"You think that's funny, huh?"

Gabriella continued to laugh, unable to get words out. Troy picked her up and put her on the bed, tickling her. He grabbed her wrist, looking at her watch. He smiled, getting onto the bed with her.

"Five…'

He rolled over on top of her, supporting his weight on his elbows.

"Four…"

He leaned in closer.

"Three…"

His hand moved to her face, caressing her cheek.

"Two…"

He leaned in so that their noses were touching.

"One…"

Their lips were almost touching, his words tickling her lips.

"Zero." He kissed her passionately. She put her hands on the back of his head, pulling him closer. He deepened the kiss. Their bodies were so close, they could have been one person. Finally, they had to breathe and surfaced.

"That was one of the hardest hours in my life."

She giggled. "So you didn't mean what you said in the car?"

"I totally meant that! It's just that I want to kiss you so badly."

He kissed her forehead.

"I think that's the longest we've gone without kissing when we're together since we got back together."

Troy looked saddened. "That was even harder than going an hour without kissing you. That was the first time I'd cried since I was ten. It was only one day, but it was torture. I couldn't eat, I couldn't sleep. I just sat in my room the whole time, thinking about what an idiot I'd been. And that, if you ever forgave me, I would make sure that I proved how much I loved you."

A single tear rolled down Gabriella's cheek. "And I thought that you didn't love me. I know now how wrong I was."

Feeling that the mood was getting too depressing, Troy got up off the bed.

"Hey, I've got something for you. I wrote it, when we got back together. It's- I- It's not very good. I'm not really a song writer. But I'll sing it for you anyway.

_Arm in arm walk down the street_

_I love her and she loves me_

_And it's clear to everyone, clear to me_

_How lucky I am_

_How lucky I am_

_Eating food and sipping drinks_

_I've fallen so hard I can hardly think_

_And looking at her I can only think_

_How lucky I am_

_How lucky I am_

_**Chorus**_

_Only twenty four hours_

_Torture beyond what's here on earth_

_Tears fall thick and very fast_

_Can only hope that it won't last_

_Only twenty four hours_

_Can't believe my baby's hurt_

_For what I did I should have died_

_As I sat there and I cried_

_As I brush her lips with mine_

_Promise I'll always be on time_

_Loves me when I can't think of a line_

_How lucky I am_

_How lucky I am_

_Only twenty four hours_

_Torture beyond what's here on earth_

_Tears fall thick and very fast_

_Can only hope that it won't last_

_Only twenty four hours_

_Can't believe my baby's hurt_

_For what I did I should have died_

_As I sat there and I cried_

_**Bridge**_

_How can I tell her_

_That I need her to live_

_How can I let her know_

_Without her I'm nothing_

_How can I tell her_

_How much I cried, I almost died_

_I need you to live, baby_

_Only twenty four hours_

_Torture beyond what's here on earth_

_Tears fall thick and very fast_

_Can only hope that it won't last_

_Only twenty four hours_

_Can't believe my baby's hurt_

_For what I did I should have died_

_As I sat there and I cried_

He looked over at her, where she was sitting on the bed.

"I know it's not good, but I wrote it for you. And I meant everything I said. Every word of it."

She ran over to him and jumped into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist and pressing her lips to his. The passion of the kiss made him feel weak at the knees, and he sat on the bed with her still in his lap. She pulled his shirt over his head, breaking the kiss for an agonizing second. He pulled hers off, too, and pressed his body to hers, feeling her bare skin. Finally, they broke apart.

She looked at her watch. "It's already six thirty, and dinner's at seven fifteen. We'd better get ready."

She grabbed a change of clothes and her makeup bag from her suitcase and then walked into the bathroom. She screamed.

Troy ran in the room, putting his arms around her protectively. But she just laughed. "Relax, Troy. Look at this bathroom! "

He had been too preoccupied with her safety to notice the bathroom before, but now he looked up to see that the whole room was gold. There was a two-person shower and a jaccuzi. He grinned.

"I was going to take a shower in my own room, but it looks like there's plenty of room for me in here."

She giggled. There was a screen in the corner and she went behind it. She emerged a moment later, and got into the shower. Troy joined her a moment later, drawing closer in the steaming air…

**AN: This chapter actually made me want to cry, when he was saying how he felt when she dumped him (and I know that that can't-eat-can't-sleep thing is totally cliché, but I love it anyway.) I didn't even know until I wrote it that he would ever say how he felt. Or that he was going to write a song ********. And sorry about the song, I'm NOT a songwriter or lyricist, and I've never written a song before, so it's probably not very good. I did the best I could with the rhyming and stuff, but it doesn't really work. **

**And this is the longest chapter that I've ever written, by about 1000 words! In total, it's 2405 words! Crazy, huh?**


	18. Dinner

**Disclaimer: I don't own HSM (sob)**

**AN: I'm supposed to be doing my homework, but I'll just write here instead. I HATE SPANISH, btw. And especially my Spanish teacher. The class was OK last year when my teacher was neither an idiot or impossibly strict. So I'll just start the story now.**

At dinner that night, Gabriella was giggly and a little giddy. Troy asked Taylor to make sure she didn't blurt anything to parents, because he knew she needed another girl to help her out.

Chad pulled Troy aside by the salad bar. "Dude, what did you do to her to make her act like this? Did you- you know…" he didn't finish the sentence, but Troy knew what he was saying and nodded.

Chad grinned. "First time?" Troy shook his head and held up two fingers. Chad laughed. "AWESOME!" he yelled before realizing that he was in a five-star restaurant, not a gym. "You scored!" he said, his voice lower.

Troy's eyes clouded with anger. "I would appreciate it if you didn't say that again," he hissed. But then he calmed down. "Sorry, man, it's just that it's not like that with her."

Chad nodded. "I think I get it. I feel the same way about Taylor, although she doesn't want to yet."

Troy smiled. "Don't worry, she'll come around. You know when Gabi decided that she was ready? When she tried to take my pants off when she was drunk and I didn't let her. My advice is to respect her choice and don't pressure her." Chad saw a flicker of sadness in his friend's eyes brought about by the words, but said nothing. If Troy wanted him to know, he would tell him. **(This is why I love guys. They might actually ignore something like that instead of forcing you to spill your guts)**

Chad looked back over at the girls. Gabriella was giggling, and Taylor was trying to get her to calm down. "How long ago?"

"About an hour."

Chad whistled. "You must have been _good_!"

Troy gave him a funny look. "I'm not sure it's appropriate for you to say that to your best guy friend."

Chad laughed. "You know it disgusts me."

Troy shrugged. "It wasn't the best idea to do it right before dinner, but the honeymoon suite had a two-person shower," he said, his eyes twinkling with a combination of reminiscence and mirth at Chad's expression.

"Dude. I did _not_ need to know that." **(I just got an image of my parents' faces if they saw this…)**

"And I didn't need to know that you think I'm good in bed."

"Touché." Chad admitted. "I'm never going to hear the end of that, am I?"

Troy just grinned and shook his head. "We'd better get back to the table. People are starting to give us suspicious looks."

The two went back to the table. Just as they sat down, Taylor pulled Gabriella away from the table so that they could talk without parents overhearing. They went to the bathroom, and as soon as they got in, Taylor looked at her and said, "Okay, spill."

Gabriella looked at her and said, "We did it."

Taylor screamed. "Oh my god! Was it your first time? Where did you? And why the hell did you do it right before dinner?"

Gabriella giggled. "Second. Both with him. And, well, we weren't going to, but the honeymoon suite has a two-person shower."

Taylor squealed again. "Was he good?" she asked, a mischevious smile on her face.

Gabriella nodded. "Amazing."

Taylor laughed at the sincerity of her friend's words. "I haven't let Chad, you know… I'm just not sure that I'm ready. How did you know?"

"I wasn't, but one night I tried to go all the way and he wouldn't let me because I was drunk. He'd already told me he wanted to, so I knew that he was making a sacrifice. That's when I knew that he wasn't in it for the sex, and I knew I was ready."

"That's so sweet of him!" Taylor said, sighing. "I wish Chad would do something like that for me. I don't know if he would."

Gabriella put her arms on her friend's shoulders and looked her in the eyes. "Chad loves you, Tay. I can see it easily. He'd never take advantage of you."

Taylor nodded. "I know, but deep down I'm just not sure I'm ready."

Gabriella knew how she felt. "You'll know when you are."

The girls walked back to the table. Troy saw that Gabriella was calmer, and thought it was safe to sit next to her, so he and Taylor traded places so that he was with her. He put his arm around her, and she rested her head on his shoulder. He kissed the top of her head.

"That reminds me," said Chad, "How about our little bet?"

"What bet?" asked Zeke

"Chad bet us that we couldn't go an hour without kissing. And now he owes us each ten dollars."

"No way," Andy laughed, "You guys went a whole hour? I didn't think that it was possible!"

Gabriella pretended to be offended. "You underestimate my powers of self-control. I didn't jump on him for months when we were dating!"

"Yeah, but you hugged him for a full five minutes," Andy said, rolling his eyes.

"Five minutes?" asked Sharpay, laughing. "That's got to be a world record."

"Honestly," Andy told her, "They got out of his car and then they hugged, but they just stood there for ages. It was actually pretty funny."

Troy just pulled his girlfriend a little closer to him.

This didn't go unnoticed by Kelsi, who said, "You guys really are funny. You were in love for over a month before you got together and never did anything you shouldn't have, and now you can't go five minutes without touching each other."

Troy felt that he should defend himself at this point, saying, "Just because we're in love doesn't mean that we can't control ourselves."

Gabriella looked around at her friends and laughed. "And we're not the only ones."

Chad's arm was around Taylor, Andy's was resting lightly on Kelsi's waist, and Zeke had carefully placed his arm around Sharpay, making sure she wouldn't smack him. Most of them laughed off her comment, but Kelsi and Andy blushed deeply. Gabriella stood up, grabbed the still-red Andy by the wrist and pulled him over to the dessert buffet. She hugged him.

"So, you're with Kelsi now?"

He blushed even deeper. "Not officially. I got her this, and I'm going to ask her tonight." He showed Gabriella a necklace with a heart on it. Gabriella's hand automatically moved up to the necklace with the T-shaped charm that Troy had given her.

"She'll love it. And she'll say yes."

Andy looked ecstatic. "You really think so?"

"I know so. She really likes you. Maybe loves you. But I think it's a little soon to tell that."

Andy pulled her into his arms. "You're the best friend I could ask for."

Gabriella smiled, and then giggled when she felt another pair of arms come around her from behind. "Way to ruin the moment, Troy," she giggled.

All three pulled out of the hug. "Hey, it's a crime to want to hug your girlfriend now?

Gabriella kissed him. "Show him the necklace, Andy. He's going to ask Kelsi to be his girlfriend."

Andy once again pulled out the heart necklace. "I actually got the idea from the necklace you gave Gabriella. I wanted to give her an A one so that they would match, but I figured it was a little early for that."

Troy admired the necklace. "Good luck, dude. Hey, do you want us to get rid of everyone so that you guys can have a little privacy?"

"That's be great," Andy said, gratefully.

The three walked back to the table. "Hey, guys, get a load of the chocolate fountain!" Everyone, even the adults, got up to see it, except for Andy and Kelsi. Andy glanced up at Troy. "Good luck," he mouthed, before he and Gabriella went to join the others.

But as soon as they got there, they saw that Sharpay, Zeke, Chad, and Taylor were already bored and headed back to the table. Troy and Gabriella headed back with them, but stopped them before Andy and Kelsi saw them.

"Um, listen, Kels…" Andy was saying, "I, um, got you something."

He got the necklace out of the pocket of his denim jacket and handed it to her. "Would you be my girlfriend?"

The girls, watching and listening just out of sight, put their hands to their hearts. Troy reached for Gabriella's other hand and squeezed it.

Kelsi looked surprised, then happy. "Yes!" she said, before hugging him. He put his arms around her, too, looking like he didn't know what hit him. When she pulled away from him, he tentatively reached down and kissed her softly and tenderly. They held it for only a second, but Gabriella thought it was one of the sweetest things she had ever seen. She put her arms around Troy and he put his around her, holding her close. Once the new couple broke apart, Chad burst into applause, joined by Taylor. Troy shrugged appoligetically at Andy when he looked up, startled. Sharpay poked Zeke and said "Why am I the only one without a boyfriend?" They heard Zeke respond with "Sharpay, will you be my girlfriend?" Sharpay smiled and led him away. Taylor took Chad's hand, too, and they disappeared. Troy and Gabriella walked over to the table. Kelsi and Andy were shining with happiness.

"Sorry everyone saw, dude, but they weren't as interested in the chocolate fountain as I thought they'd be," Troy whispered to Andy. Gabriella went up and hugged them both. "Told you she'd say yes!"

The four walked up to their rooms. They got to Kelsi's and Andy's first, whose rooms were right next to each others'. "We'll leave you two alone to celebrate," Gabriella said, eyes twinkling. But Kelsi said, "Can I talk to you, Gabriella?" She nodded, and Kelsi pulled her into her room.

"I really like Andy. But what if he pressures me to go farther than I want?"

Gabriella replied, with total certainty, "Then you dump him and you call me in the honeymoon suite and I come rushing down to yell at him for you. But I promise you he won't. I've known Andy for years, and he's not like that. And he really, really likes you."

Kelsi looked more relaxed. "In that case, let's let the boys in."

The two of them came in, and Andy hugged Kelsi. Gabriella nudged Troy, and he picked her up and carried her out of the room, closing the door behind him. Troy carried her to the elevator, and into the honeymoon suite. He put her down on the bed.

"Can you stay with me tonight?" asked Gabriella

"Sure. Let me just go put my pyjamas on."

He disappeared through the door and came back a minute later wearing plaid pyjama bottoms to find Gabriella in short shorts and a camisole. He smiled and sat down on the bed, lifting her onto his lap. He kissed her and held her close. They got under the comforter and fell asleep with his arms around her.

**AN: I know what you're thinking: That was a long chapter considering not much happened! But let me point out to you what DID happen. **

**They revealed to their best friends what they did**

**Taylor revealed that she was thinking about furthering her relationship with Chad**

**(I bet you guys didn't notice this one) Andy showed that he was okay with how Gabriella acted while they were still dating, and that he had absolutely no feelings for her**

**Andy and Kelsi got together**

**Sharpay and Zeke got together**

**Kelsi revealed that she was worried about her relationship with Andy, but was reassured by Gabriella**

**One word: FLUFF! And not just between Troy and Gabriella.**

**And I thought that I should try to slow down the story a little. The next chapter will have a more obvious storyline. AND PLEASE REVIEW!!!!**


	19. First Day in the Studio

**AN: Listening to **_**Everyday**_**, for those of you who care. So how's life? Good? Good. Gots it. I'll just write now.**

Troy and Gabriella woke up the next morning to a knock on the door. They realized that they were in a very incriminating position. Their arms were around each other, her legs around his hips, and his bent at the knees so that they cradled her. Although they hadn't fallen asleep that way, and had just woken up, it wouldn't look good if their mothers walked in. They both hastily sat up, sitting on the bed and facing each other. "Come in!" yelled Gabriella.

Jack Bolton entered the room. "Good morning, you two. I'm Troy's wake-up call. I checked the other room, but there was no reply, so I figured he must be here. I would hope that you were already awake when I knocked."

The teenagers blushed, glad that they were no longer entwined.

"Although, judging from the fact that you two aren't touching each other, I would hazard a guess that you weren't sitting like this when I knocked. Anyway, breakfast ends in two hours, then we have to go to the studio to start with the movie."

He left the room. The two on the bed took deep breaths. "That was close. At least we were wearing clothes," Troy said, grinning.

She threw a pillow at him and went into the bathroom. Troy followed her. "I want to take a Jacuzzi bath. Is that okay?"

She grinned at him. "Of course it is. There's no time for both of us, so I'll just join you."

"Okay, but I don't think we should, you know... I mean, Chad guessed last night." His face was serious. Gabriella groaned. "He did?"

"Yeah, but don't worry. Chad has an instinct. I mean, everyone knew something had happened, but I don't think our parents knew what it was."

She nodded, and then started filling up the tub. They both got in, and Troy pressed the button that started the jets. He moved over to put his arm around her, and she leaned against him. They both relaxed into the warm water.

Half an hour later, they got out and wrapped in towels. Troy pulled on jeans and a t-shirt, and Gabriella did the same. She wore the shirt that Troy had bought her, with the arrow on it pointing to the left and the words "I'm his property."

Troy leaned up against the door frame while Gabriella put on her makeup, and then they walked down to breakfast with their arms linked. Their friends were already sitting at a table and they waved them over.

"And then she just gave me this weird look and shut the door," Taylor was saying. She waved at her friend as she and Troy sat down between her and Andy. "I was just telling everyone that your mom almost walked in on us this morning."

It took Gabriella a moment to process the news. "You didn't!"

Taylor smiled. "We did. And," she lowered her voice, "He was amazing. And your mom woke us up, and he grabbed his boxers and ran into the bathroom, and I had to say I was changing and then deal with her! It was terrifying. Luckily, she wasn't waking the guys up, so she didn't see that Chad wasn't in his room!"

Gabriella laughed. "Troy's dad went to his room to wake him up, but he was in mine! And when he came in, he totally guessed that he had slept over."

Taylor winced. "Ouch. But he's probably guessed that you guys would have done it by now."

"We didn't even, that night. He just slept there. Nothing else. Hey, do you think the parents guessed what we did last night? Troy said your boyfriend did, and I was wondering…"

"Pshaw! **(You have no idea how long I've wanted to write that for!)** Don't worry, honey, parents see what they want to see. They probably just assumed that he'd said something or whatever. But Chad noticed?"

Gabriella noticed. "He was probably drilling Troy for the details when they were over at the salad bar. Neither of them eats salad, anyway, so there isn't much other explanation."

She moved over so she was sitting on Troy's lap, and he fed her bites of his omlette.

"You two sicken me," said Chad, conversationally.

"Hey, at least I wasn't the one drilling other people for information about how certain _events_ went."

Chad shrugged. "We're guys. That's what we talk about. And," he added, leaning across the table so that only she could hear him, "When I said that he'd scored he said that it 'wasn't like that with you."

Troy, who had heard none of this, was surprised when he felt her arms around his neck and her kiss on his lips, but he kissed her back, until he felt a tap on his shoulder.

"Troy. That's quite enough. It's time to go to the studio."

Both of them blushed, and looked up at Jack Bolton, who was frowning down at them. "Just because we know that you're in love, doesn't mean that the general public knows that you didn't meet each other just five minutes ago. And this is a five star restaurant in a five star hotel. So don't do anything inappropriate." They nodded. Then the eight teenagers stood up and trooped out to the front of the hotel. The girls screamed and jumped up and down as they saw the stretch limo pulled up. They got in, and the boys followed them. The adults didn't want to ride in a limo, so they took a taxi.

As soon as they got in the long, white limo, Gabriella moved back on to Troy's lap and finished their kiss. After they were done, she turned around so that she was facing into the circle of her friends. They were all laughing. "Good thing Mrs. Bolton doesn't like limos, or you would have had to wait until you pretended to go to the bathrooms or something," said Zeke, rolling his eyes. Troy nodded. "And that would have been terrible."

Gabriella just giggled and kissed him again. Chad laughed at the momentary delight on Troy's face before he kissed her back. Chad snuggled Taylor closer. Andy's arm tightened a little around Kelsi's waist. Not to be left out, Sharpay put her arms around Zeke.

When the limo pulled up to the studio, Gabriella jumped off of Troy's lap and snuggled up next to him. She didn't want Troy's dad seeing her on his lap again. But when the limo door opened, it was Andy and Kelsi who sprang apart. Their friends just laughed. The two of them were both shy, and they were so similar that they might as well be the same person.

"You guys were made for each other,' said Taylor, saying what they were all thinking before climbing out of the limo. They waked into the studio and everyone sat down.

"Hello, Troy, Gabriella. Who is everyone else?"

"This is Chad, Zeke, Andy, Kelsi, Sharpay, and Taylor. And these are our parents."

"Nice to meet you all," said Smith, shaking hands with everyone. "Now, we're just going to get the logistics over with today. Tomorrow starts dance rehearsals. Then we go to the recording studio and record the songs, and lastly we'll film it. The movie's set to be released as a summer movie a year from now, so we're running a tight ship. Any questions?"

Everyone shook their heads. "Good. Now let me introduce everyone. These are Amanda Lemons and Lexis Michaels, our choreographers. Adam Jackson, our director. And these are your fellow actors." He introduced the gang members. "Bernardo will be played by Adam Kindler, and Anita by Judith Greshner. And finally, Riff will be played by-"

"ORLANDO BLOOM!" screeched all four girls, even Kelsi.

He just laughed. "Troy, Gabriella. It's wonderful to meet you. And all of your friends." He shook everyone's hands. Troy put his arm around Gabriella's waist and pulled her close. She responded by squeezing him around the middle and giving him a quick kiss.

"It's an honor to meet you, Mr. Boom," Troy said, shaking his head.

"Please, call me Orlando."

He nodded. When he let go of his hand, he put his other arm around Gabriella. Orlando's eyes danced, but he just smiled.

"Let's do a run through. We'll read lines and sing the songs, but don't worry about dancing. Just do what you want."

They started reading through. At Riff's solo, Gabriella squeezed Troy and whispered, "I didn't know that he could sing, as well!" into his ear.

Then was the first duet, and it was their turn to have the spotlight. Gabriella was nervous about singing in front of Orlando Bloom, but Troy sensed this and whispered, "At me" in her ear. She smiled and started singing.

When they ended, there was total silence. Troy and Gabriella's friends and family had heard them sing, along with Smith and Alvin, but the rest of the actors and other film workers were stunned at the tenderness and love in the song. Troy stroked Gabriella's hair and smiled as he started to say the next line. But Smith cut him off. "Let's stop, take a break."

Troy and Gabriella went to get water. The first to talk to them were the choreographers. "That was amazing, you guys." They thanked them.

The next were all of the actors. "Congratulations. You guys are naturals."

Finally, Orlando Bloom came up to them. "I'm humbled. I've never heard such raw talent, and such love in a song. I though I had talent, but I have absolutely none compared to you."

They were surprised by his words. "Thanks," was the only thing that Troy could think to say.

"That was nothing," Taylor said, coming up behind them with Kelsi at her side, "You should have seen them singing at the talent show. Kelsi wrote them a song, and it was so perfect for them… there wasn't a dry eye in the audience."

Orlando smiled. "I'd love to hear you sing it sometime. And you compose?" he asked, turning to Kelsi.

She could only nod.

"Well, that's really cool. I've never been able to write songs. The composer is like the playmaker-"

"In basketball," Troy finished. "You play?"

"Oh, yeah, I love it. How about you?"

"Troy was the captain of the basketball team, and MVP," Gabriella bragged.

"We'll have to play one on one, then." And with that the star walked back to the set.

Gabriella turned back to Troy once everyone had gone and kissed him. When they needed air, they pulled apart. Gabriella giggled and smoothed Troy's hair, which was sticking out from where she had been running her fingers through it. She grabbed his arm and led him back to the set.

"We're going to start from when Troy sings the last lines of _Tonight_."

Troy nodded and began.

_Tonight. Tonight…_

**AN: ORLANDO BLOOM! I love him! He's really good in **_**Pirates of the Caribbean.**_** Please review!**


	20. Dance Rehearsals

**AN: So today they start the dance rehearsals and they have to have a stage kissing workshop:-) It's actually true that stage-kissing is very different from normal kissing, and Maria and Tony have like twenty kisses in the movie, play, whatever. Also I'm going off of the script for the high school play version (which is 120 pages long), so it's not the same as is in the movie.**

When they got back, they were tired from running lines all day. Troy and Gabriella went to the honeymoon suite and flopped down on the bed. He took her in his arms and kissed her. They broke apart, and he grinned.

"You know, all of that stuff came with the room, we might as well use it," Gabriella said, smiling seductively at him.

"Good idea," Troy told her. He pressed all three buttons on the walls. Gabriella grabbed some of the clothes while Troy booked a wakeup call for half an hour before their parents would wake them up, so that they weren't given a nasty surprise. Gabriella came back out of the bathroom. Troy went over to her and kissed her passionately, pulling her onto the bed.

…………………………………………………

The next morning, the wakeup call rung into Troy's head. He sat up groggily in the big, heart-shaped bed. Gabriella's eyes fluttered open beside him. She sat up and stretched lazily, before going into the bathroom to shower and change. Troy pulled on his jeans from last night, grabbed his t-shirt, and went into the single room. When he was dressed, he went back to the honeymoon suite. Gabriella was putting on her makeup in the bathroom when he walked in. He walked up to her and gave her a kiss. She dropped her eyeliner pen onto the counter and put her arms around him, returning the kiss.

"Good morning, Bolton," she said when they pulled apart, "And how did you sleep?"

"I'll have you know, I had the most wonderful dream," he said, his breath tickling her face. He drew closer and closer, but then they were interrupted by a knock on the door. He groaned and banged his head against the wall, while she went to answer it."

"Hey, Gabs," Taylor said. She was standing outside with Chad, "Sorry if I interrupted anything. Chad didn't want to knock, but I pointed out that we might walk in on something."

"It's fine, we weren't doing anything we couldn't finish with you here. Go ahead and make yourself at home."

She went back into the bathroom and she was instantly kissed by Troy. Once they were done, and she had finished her makeup, they waked out to see their friends sitting on the edge of the bed, looking in awe at the room.

"It's really pink," Chad commented. "Ooh, what does this button do?"

The music started playing as he pressed it, but he hastily pressed it again to stop it. He went on to the next button, opening the drawer full of condoms, but he just laughed it off. He pushed the third button, opening the closet. At this he looked seriously scared, but it was Taylor who noticed the empty hangers and whispered it to the couple who turned beet red. She smiled smugly and sat down on the bed. "Anyway, we came to wake the lovebirds up," she said. Chad sat down, still shaken from the encounter with the buttons.

"Hey, let's go to breakfast," Troy said, before Taylor could notice any more incriminating details about the state of the honeymoon suite. Gabriella jumped onto his back, and he gave her a piggy back ride down to breakfast. But he put her down outside the restaurant and just held her hand, so that his father couldn't yell at them any more. He had laid down the ground rules pretty firmly last night.

"One: No sitting on laps or excessive contact. Two, no heated kissing. Three, no touching each other in inappropriate places." At this they had blushed severely, but nodded.

That morning, they moved their chairs close together so that they could hold hands while eating and Troy fed Gabriella pieces of sausage off of his own fork. Their friends just rolled their eyes at them. Once they got in the limo, however, she sat on his lap again and started kissing him passionately.

Chad cleared his throat. They looked at him. "I just want to say, please don't feel her up when I'm here. That's just gross."

Troy looked offended. "I've never done that!"

Chad raised his eyebrows. "I know, but you seemed so eager to break your parents' rules, I just wanted to lay some of my own down."

Gabriella laughed, and Troy resumed the kiss. Finally, she turned around again to face her friends, still on Troy's lap with his arms around her.

"So, tonight, let's go swimming in the hotel pool," said Chad.

"Why?" asked Troy, "You've never liked swimming."

Chad rolled his eyes as if it was obvious. "I want to see Taylor in a bikini."

Troy raised his eyebrows, but shrugged. "Can't argue with that department."

"At least you can see your girlfriend like that whenever you want," Zeke muttered to Troy, who was sitting next to him, "I've been too scared to even ask Sharpay."

Troy laughed, and squeezed Gabriella tighter. He knew she had heard Zeke as well. "Not that that's the reason I love you," he whispered to Gabriella. She just smiled. "I know," she said.

"I love you, Brie. For ever and ever."

"For ever and ever," she echoed.

"That is so _sweet_!" Taylor said. The couple looked up. They had momentarily forgotten that everyone else was there. Troy looked at her. "It's the truth."

The limo pulled up outside the studio again, and Gabriella hastily got off of Troy and sat next to him. The door opened, and they piled out of the limo and into the studio for dance rehearsals.

They trooped into the studio. Smith pulled Troy and Gabriella aside as they were walking in. "Dance rehearsals don't start for an hour and a half, but I wanted you guys to take a stage-kissing workshop. No offence, it's just that it's totally different from normal kissing."

He introduced them to their instructor, and then disappeared. "Kisses look exaggerated on screen, so the bottom line is to tone it down," explained the instructor, whose name was Kristen. "There are no huge kisses, so just keep it to a minimum. She talked them through some more things for about an hour, and then she let them go.

"So, want to practice?" Troy asked her as they found themselves all alone in an empty room.

"We've been practicing for fifteen minutes. I want a real kiss."

And with that, she pulled him to her and caught his lips with hers. They kissed for almost five minutes, before going back to where dance rehearsals were going to be held. They greeted the choreographers and the rest of the cast. The choreographers showed them the dances for all of the songs, and then started teaching them. They started with the Jets song, so Troy and Gabriella sat on the sidelines, watching as the actors learned the steps. Then, Troy was called up to learn the steps for _Something's Coming_, his solo. He was always nervous about singing it, because he couldn't sing it with Gabriella. But when he was asked to sing it "to set the mood," she mouthed the words with him, and it gave him courage and voice.

Everyone burst into applause when he finished the song. Then, cautiously, he started copying the choreographer that showed him the steps, and after only twenty minutes, he was dancing the song perfectly.

The most complicated dance scene was the dance at the gym. The choreographers showed them the best that they could, spinning and twirling onstage. The actors trooped onto the stage, getting into the positions that the choreographers directed them to. They went through the first dancing part, which was a simple dance in pairs, but Tony and Maria weren't together yet, so Troy and Gabriella didn't get to dance together. Then it got more and more complicated. When they finally broke for lunch, everyone swarmed to the water cooler. Troy went to his backpack and got out bottles of energy drink for him and Gabriella. Orlando walked up to them.

"Hey, would you and your friends like to grab some lunch? I know a great place around the corner. And then maybe we could play some one on one," he said, his eyes twinkling.

"Right after that dance?" Troy asked, his eyebrows raised.

"Better eat a big lunch. Let's get going."

He grabbed his shoulder bag and walked to the room where everyone else was. Troy and Gabriella followed him, and they all left the studio together.

Orlando walked with Kelsi, Andy, Troy, and Gabriella. "You know that song Kelsi wrote? I think you two should perform it for everyone. And it might make a great feature for the DVD."

Troy and Gabriella looked at each other, incredulously. "A single for the DVD? You're kidding."

Orlando raised one eyebrow. "Believe it or not, lovebirds, I know a thing or two about these things."

At this Gabriella put in, "We'd love to sing it. And when did you start calling us lovebirds? Chad originally thought of that."

"Yeah, that's who I heard it from," he admitted, laughing.

Troy put his arm around Gabriella's waist as they walked. "Well, I like it."

Orlando laughed again. "I know it's none of my business, but you two seemed to have eased up on the kissing and stuff since yesterday."

Gabriella giggled. "Our parents set down some ground rules. I'm not even allowed to sit on his lap in public. Apparently people assume that we just met five minutes ago."

Orlando looked confused. "But you two are obviously in love. Nobody could deny that. It only takes one glance to tell."

Troy grinned and pulled Gabriella a little closer. She put her head on his shoulder, even though it was hard to walk like that. She smiled up at him and gave him a quick but tender kiss. Kelsi saw the love in the kiss and squeezed Andy's hand. Slowly, he unclasped his hand and put his arm around her shoulders. She put hers around his waist.

They got to the café, which was really a panini place. There wasn't enough time to play one on one as well as a sit-down meal, so they grabbed paninis to go and waked with them. Troy fed Gabriella bites of his sandwich as they walked down the street. They reached the neighborhood basketball courts. Troy and Orlando pulled off their shirts and grabbed a ball. There was already a crowd gathering outside the courts because of Orlando, but they ignored the fans.

Zeke started the game by throwing the jump ball. Troy gained possession and got around the movie star, scoring two points. Orlando grabbed the ball and scored on his end. Troy got it back, but it was stolen from him again. Then Troy dribbled up the court and scored a three-pointer. He stole the ball again and scored for a third time.

During the last minute of the game (timed by Andy's stopwatch), the score was tied.

Troy stole the ball. Thirty seconds.

Orlando stole it back. Fifteen seconds.

Troy stole it again. Five seconds.

He dribbled up the court. Three seconds.

He shot. Two…one….

The ball swished through the net right before Andy yelled that the game was over. Orlando held out his hand. "Good game. You're really good." Troy shook his hand and thumped him on the back. **(You know that sort of cross between a handshake and a hug that guys do?)**

"So are you, for a movie star. When do you have time to practice?"

"I play all the time with my brothers and my friends."

Troy nodded. But then he stepped back to walk with Andy, leaving Gabriella to talk with Kelsi. She knew, somehow, that he was talking about something she couldn't know, so she let him fall back.

"Hey, Andy? I wanted to ask your advice."

"Sure, dude, what's up?"

"Tomorrow's Brie's birthday."

"Yeah, I know. Did you get her something?"

He nodded. "I got her a necklace. It says "For ever and ever" on it. And I'm going to ask for the day off so that I can take her out."

"I got her a pair of earrings. I figured it would be nice," Andy commented. Troy looked happy. "She'll love that you thought of her."

"And she'll love your gift even more. Not just the necklace, but for buying you guys some time together."

"You think so?" Troy was hopeful.

"God, Troy. I thought we'd already been over this. She's head over heels for you plus some. I've never seen so much love for another person in someone unless, maybe, when I see how you look when you look at her. She'd give anything for a day alone with you."

Troy grinned. This was exactly the answer he'd been hoping for. He quickly caught up with Gabriella, grabbed her from behind and twirled her around before putting her down and kissing her.

After a long moment, they broke apart and just looked into each other's eyes. The whole group had stopped walking, just looking at them. When they realized this, they both blushed and she jumped onto his back. He carried her back to the studio, both laughing the whole time.

**AN: What's up? I was listening to **_**Gotta go my own way**_** on my iPod this afternoon and when he said the line **_**You know I never wanted to hurt you**_** I started laughing and random strangers were staring at me. Fun, I know. So next chapter will be her birthday, and in either that chapter or the next I'll include their performance of **_**You are the Music in Me**_**. But now I have to get of the computer before my mom catches me!**


	21. Birthday Girl

**AN: I forgot all of my homework today and I am in deep trouble. It sucks. But whatever. Today was singing auditions for **_**West Side Story**_**!!! It was terrifying. I had one of those out-of-body experiences. I heard a voice and thought, "Hey, that person's pretty good." Not until I sat back down did I realize that it was MY voice. Totally serious. It was the strangest experience of my life. But afterwards someone I didn't know at all came and told me I did well. So now I'm happy and hyper. Plus all of the sugar that I ate today helped:-) So today is Gabriella's birthday!!! Exciting! I'll shut up now.**

The next morning, Gabriella woke up to Troy coming into her room and sitting next to her on her bed.

"Good morning. I just wanted to be the first to wish you a happy birthday!"

She hugged him, but then threw a pillow at him. "You woke me up!"

"Because I ordered breakfast in bed! You don't want your food to get cold, do you?"

She kissed him. He pulled her closer and nibbled at her bottom lip. She allowed his tongue entrance, and they flopped backwards onto the bed. The kiss became more and more heated until there was a knock at the door and a cry of "Room service!"

Troy groaned and got up. He smoothed down his hair as he went over to the door, although he knew it would still look a little strange because he was still wearing only his pajama bottoms.

The waiter, however, had seen much stranger things than this, so he just wheeled the food in and gave Troy the bill to sign. He signed it quickly and shut the door behind the man, jogging back to the bed and jumping on it, rolling back on top of Gabriella and resuming the kiss. They didn't break apart until the need for oxygen forced them to. Troy sighed happily.

"That's the best kiss we've had in days," Gabriella commented.

Troy grinned. "I have news. Everyone's gone sightseeing. We have the whole day together. Alone," he added, with a smug smile.

She looked delighted. She moved on to his lap and leaned upwards so that her words tickled his ear. "That's exactly what I wanted."

She pressed her lips firmly onto his. He grabbed her waist and pulled her closer. She put her legs around him. They finally pulled apart. Troy looked a little disappointed that it hadn't gone further, but Gabriella sensed this and said, "We have all day."

They turned to the breakfast and ate hungrily. Troy had gotten himself bacon and eggs and Gabriella blueberry pancakes, which he knew she loved.

When they were done, Gabriella turned to Troy. "So, what's up for today?"

"Well, there's a funfair near here I thought we could go to for the day. Then I figured dinner and a movie."

"What movie?"

"You choose."

"Even a chick flick?"

"Whatever you want."

She gave him another kiss, and then got up from the bed and went into the bathroom, carrying a change of clothes with her. Troy heard the water go on, counted to twenty, and followed her in.

………………………………………

He carried her out to the limo, which was waiting to take them to the funfair. Troy knew that it wasn't normal to turn up to a funfair in a limo, especially because they were both wearing jeans and a t-shirt – it wasn't like they particularly fit in with the limo.

Once the limo pulled up to the fairground, they walked, hand in hand, around, looking for something to do. They decided on a rollercoaster first. Both loved rollercoasters, but Gabriella couldn't help grabbing Troy on the first downhill. He put one arm around her, the other one in the air.

They finally got off, a little dazed and dizzy. Gabriella lead him to the bumper cars. They got in one, and waited a few minutes before it started. Gabriella took the wheel and rammed aggressively into other cars. She giggled when Troy kept on putting his arms around her protectively when they were about to hit another car.

Finally, the ride was over. They got out of the car and wandered over to the sideshows. Troy spotted Gabriella gazing longingly at a big, fluffy stuffed animal in the shape of a dog. He smiled. "Want me to win it for you?"

She nodded and smiled back. They walked over to the sideshow, which was, luckily, one where you have to shoot baskets with a basketball. Troy handed over three dollars and the man gave him a ball.

"Yah get five shots. Get it in once, get a small toy (he pointed at a box full of pencils and plastic combs). Get it in twice, you get a medium toy (he pointed at a box full of small unicorn- and dinasaur-shaped stuffed animals). Three times, you win a large prize (he pointed at a box full of plastic bows and arrows, guns, and swords). Four, you get a grand prize (he pointed at a box with some teddy bears), and if you get all five in, you get a super prize." He jabbed his thumb at the stuffed puppy. He said all of this in a bored voice before stepping back and letting Troy shoot at the basket.

Troy took a deep breath and tossed the ball. It swished through the net, not even touching the rim or the backboard. The man gave him the ball back and he shot again. Again, the ball didn't even touch the rim. The man gave him the ball for a third time. He scored a perfect basket again. The man, looking annoyed now, handed him the ball. He swished it easily through the net. The man had a mean expresson on his face as he tossed the ball to Troy, who caught it easily. He bent his arms…

Lined up to the basket…

Took a deep breath…

And…

Swish! The ball went through the net. Gabriella squealed and jumped up and down. Troy asked for the puppy, and the man gave it to him, sourly. Troy just smiled at him and walked off, hand in hand with Gabriella, who was carrying her stuffed animal.

They walked out of the funfair and to the limo, which was waiting for them outside. Gabriella set her dog down on one of the seats and then sat on Troy's lap. She turned to face him, her knees on the seat on either side of him.

"Miss Montez, this is definitely against our parents' rules," said Troy, a fake stern expression on his face and his eyes twinkling.

Gabreilla leaned in close enough so that her breath tickled his lips. "What they don't know can't hurt them."

She leaned in the rest of the way and kissed him passionately, caressing his tongue with hers. He pulled her closer, one hand on the back of her head and the other on the small of her back. They fell sideways onto the seat. After what felt like hours, they broke apart. Troy put his hand to her face, caressing her cheek. "I love you, Brie."

"I love you, too Troy. For ever and ever."

"For ever and ever."

They got out of the car at the restaurant. It was a really fancy but Troy went in and talked to the host. Soon, they were sitting at a table, across from each other. They grasped hands and linked their ankles under the table. The waitress smiled at the young couple when she gave them their menus and they ordered their drinks. When Gabriella opened the menu and saw the food, she gasped.

"They charge fifty dollars for a burger!"

"And that's what I'll be eating," Troy said, firmly. "And you may have anything, or things, that you want. It's your birthday," he said, as she tried to protest, "And I love you. So let's celebrate."

The food came, and they ate hungrily. It was one of the most delicious things that Gabriella had ever tasted.

When they were finished, a waitress came and took away their plates. Troy smiled, looking up at Gabriella, and their eyes met.

She smiled back and looked into his bright blue orbs, drowning in the piercing blue pools. Nobody else had eyes that shade of blue, so light and sweet and pure. They leaned in together so that their foreheads were touching.

Troy felt like he could look into her soft brown eyes forever. He reached up and touched her cheek, brushing a strand of curly hair out of her eyes. A tear rolled down her cheek, but he brushed it away, tenderly.

"What's wrong?"

She looked at him, knowing that she could tell him anything. "I just keep thinking that this is a dream and that someday I'm going to wake up and go back to my normal life, before I met you. It's just that nothing's this perfect in real life. And what have I done to deserve you?"

Troy looked straight at her. "Do not, ever, think for a second that you are not good enough for everything in the world and more. I'm real, and I'm right here in front of you." He took her hand. "Real, see? And I'll be here for you for ever and ever."

She smiled through her tears. With each one that fell, he wiped it off her cheek. He leaned in all of the way and kissed her. It was a chaste kiss, but one of the sweetest, most loving kisses that they had shared. They broke apart and smiled, looking into each other's eyes once more. They gradually pulled apart, but kept their hands grasped. The waitress came over with the bill, and Troy paid with his credit card.

When they left the restaurant, they got into the car and drove home.

"What time is it?" she asked him, a smirk on her face.

"SUMMERTIME!!!" yelled Troy.

She looked confused. "Sorry, I just never get tired of saying it. It's eight thirty, and the movie starts at nine."

She nodded, and they chatted on, all of the way to the movie theater.

When they got there, Troy ordered a medium popcorn, a medium coke, and a box of gummi worms to share. He grinned back at Gabriella, who was waiting for him at the door of the theater.

"So, where should we sit?" he asked her.

"Oh, I think the back row would be nice."

"You do, do you? And why might that be?" he asked, raising his eyebrows in false innocence.

"Just in case our activities bother the people around us," she said, winking and running a finger along his chest before walking into the theater. He followed, especially excited to be in a dark room with his girlfriend for an hour and a half.

The first half hour of the movie, _Hairspray_, went normally. Gabriella whispered about how hot Zac Efron was, much to Troy's annoyance, until she told him that he looked even better. But then they went to sip the soda at the same time and their lips brushed. Gabriella blushed in the dark and started away, but Troy pulled her closer and kissed her, wrapping his arms around her waist and leaning sideways towards her seat. His mouth tasted sweet, like gummi worms and soda.

After they pulled apart, he put his arms around her **(that's right, both of them)** and held her close. She rested her head against his shoulder and he gently rested his on top of hers.

After the movie, Troy drove her back to the hotel room. They had dismissed the driver of the limo, instead asking for a car to be left in the parking lot so they could drive home alone.

Troy parked the car in the hotel parking lot, picked Gabriella up, bridal style, and carried her all the way to the honeymoon suite. He put her down on the bed, and she giggled.

The laughter in her eyes turned to lust as he lowered himself onto her. They kissed passionately, tearing each other's shirts off. He reached for the fastening on her jeans, and she obliged, also unzipping his. "I love you," he said, his voice coarse. She simply moaned in reply, and he smiled, lowering himself even closer…

**AN: Okay, so that's the second chapter I've ended that way. But who wants me to write detailed descriptions of what happens when they have sex? UGH! I'm so stressed out, I have a huge headache, and I am just plain depressed. I'm really sorry I haven't updated for so long, but it's been a really hectic week and I'm ready to explode. I hope this chapter was worth the wait! And please review…I might just wait until I have 30 reviews to update!**


	22. You are the Music in Me

**AN: So how's life? I'm SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO glad it's the weekend, I've had such a stressful week; you have no idea. But what I want to do now is immerse myself in Troyella! And just to warn you, this chapter will be incredibly short, but I'm going to write the next chapter right away afterwards. And that chapter will probably be my last, or second to last. I don't want to keep this story going, because it's losing plot fast. But I'll start a new one!**

It was the first day of filming. Gabriella and Troy showed up bright and early to the studio, excited to be acting out the story that they now both loved. The first scene was to be filmed the next day, and they would be told that day where.

The next person to walk into the studio was Orlando.

"Excited?" he asked the couple.

"Yeah," they said together.

"Hey, today before we do the announcement, you two will sing us that song. The one that Kelsi wrote."

The couples' eyes widened. "Listen," said Troy, "I love Gabriella and I love singing with her, it's just…I don't know."

Orlando sighed and rolled his eyes. "We've heard you sing, remember? Both of you. And you know we'd never be mean. So you'll do it, right?"

Troy looked into Gabriella's eyes. She nodded.

"Okay, we'll do it."

Orlando nodded, looking satisfied. Just then, the rest of the cast and their guests came in.

"So, what did they say?" demanded Chad.

"They said okay," Orlando smiled.

"Wait, you knew about this?" asked a confused Troy

Chad rolled his eyes. "No duh, Troy, everyone did."

He shrugged it off. Kelsi tapped them on the shoulders. "Ready?"

"I guess," Gabriella said. The three of them walked over to the grand piano that stood in the corner. Kelsi sat down on the bench, hands placed gently on the black and white keys, and waited for the signal to start playing. Gabriella looked petrified. They had sung in front of the cast before, but this was so personal, it was their song, and she didn't want to mess it up. Troy sensed it and leaned down to whisper, "I'm singing for you. For ever and ever."

Gabriella smiled and nodded. Troy motioned for Kelsi to start the song, and Gabriella started with her.

_Na na na na_

_Na na na na, yeah_

_You are the music in me_

_You know the words once upon a time_

_Make you listen_

_There's no reason_

_When you dream there's a chance you'll find_

_A little laughter_

_Or happy ever after_

_**Your harmony**_

_**To the melody**_

_**It's echoing inside my head a**_

_Single voice _**(single voice)**

_Above the noise_

_**And like a common thread**_

**Hmm, you're pulling me**

As she sung, looking into Troy's eyes, she knew that this was it, all that was real. Her voice swelled with love as she looked at her and he looked back. Tears of joy came to her eyes, words tumbling out of her mouth in a sweet melody.

_**You are the music in me**_

**Yeah**

The couple were embracing, relishing the warmth and comfort of each other's bodies. After a long moment, they broke apart and looked around at everyone else. Taylor was sobbing, Chad beaming, Andy was blinking back tears. The cast looked incredulous, but none the less touched. But when they looked over at the face of Orlando Bloom, who was tough enough to withstand anything, they saw a single tear rolling down his cheek.

"That was the single most beautiful and wonderful thing that I have ever witnessed," said the movie star, sincerely. Troy touched Gabriella's cheek affectionately.

"Love can do that," he said. Orlando smiled and nodded. "You two are incredibly lucky to have each other."

They looked into each other's eyes. "You have no idea," Troy said softly.

There was a loud smacking sound, and Gabriella jumped. It was the director clapping his hands. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but we've got a long day ahead of us. We're going to start with the gang scene. It'll be filmed at West Hills."

Gabriella turned white as a sheet. "West Hills? That's where-"

**AN: DUN DUN DUN! I bet you didn't know that there was a plotline to this story! I swear, I've been planning this for AGES, since they were discovered at the talent show, but didn't want to rush it because I still had to cover her birthday, which is in June, and also the dance and music for the movie, because the filming comes last! So, who can guess what's scaring her? I know it's obvious, but whatever.**


	23. Knife at your Throat

**AN: Hey, y'all! I dunno why I keep typing y'all, I'm from NYC/NJ, and I never say y'all, or hardly ever. I just like the words. So, as is fairly obvious, a certain somebody comes back into the story this chapter! I haves some ideas for other stories, but I'm going to put them at the bottom.**

"THAT'S WHERE LUCAS IS!"

Troy looked afraid, but Gabriella was downright panicky. "I can't go there, what if he sees me, what if something happens!"

"Shh, shh, it'll be okay. Nothing's going to happen as long as I'm here. I'll protect you. I promise."

She nodded, a little calmed. Keeping his arm around her protectively, he looked over to the rest of the cast and crew who were looking confused. He looked at Gabriella, who nodded again.

"Lucas Johnson is being held at West Hill. He raped Gabriella."

There was a gasp from the group. Smith was the first to speak.

"You won't come in contact with him. He won't be near you."

Gabriella nodded for a third time. Troy looked at the rest of them and shrugged.

…………………………….

As they approached West Hill Juvinile Detention Hall, Troy's arm tightened around Gabriella. He wanted her to know that he wouldn't leave him for anything. They were going to be using the yard for one of the scenes, but were supposed to leave when the inmates came out for their gym class.

"Are you sure you're okay?" asked Troy, squeezing her around the middle.

"Yeah, I think so," she replied. She smiled up at him, and he gave her a quick kiss before they followed the cast in.

"I'll show them, goddamned lovebirds. I'll show them pain," hissed a voice from the bushes, but nobody heard.

Lucas had had a rough time at West Hill. His cellmates beat him up every day. They had gotten in for stealing and beating people up, one even for being in possession of a gun. They hated him for doing nothing more than beating up a girl, it was a sissy crime **(these things actually happen. Like how girls almost never get mugged because the muggers would get teased for mugging a girl).** Every day, he hated the couple that had put him in this place more and more. He swore revenge on both of them. He didn't want the slut anymore. He just wanted her dead. He fingered the pocket knife that he had snuck past the guards and was always in his pocket. He smiled. Soon, he swore. Soon.

………………………….

Gabriella smiled as Troy nuzzled and kissed her neck. It had been a whole week, and they had not so much as seen Lucas. She was still worried, but it was more of a little nudging at the back of her mind.

Troy was happy hearing the little noises that Gabriella made while he kissed her neck. Lucas was gone from his mind, along with is worry for Gabriella. They hadn't come in contact with any of the inmates in the week that they'd been filming. Their minds were at ease, and they were happy.

But the couple were interrupted by a voice.

"God, you guys, can't you keep your hands off each other for five minutes? Get-"

"We have a room! _You_ came barging into that room," Troy protested.

Chad rolled his eyes. "Dude, she's on your lap and you were totally making out. At least you're wearing clothes."

"You never know. Next time, you should knock!" said an annoyed Troy, "I was enjoying that. You ruined the moment!"

Chad just rolled his eyes again. "Anyway, I came to tell you that we've gotta go. Get off of each other and get into the limo."

"Aw, do I have to?" Gabriella asked, looking at Troy.

"Quit making googly eyes at each other and follow," their curly-haired friend said.

"Hypocrite!" said an outraged Gabriella, "You look at Taylor like that all of the time!"

Chad blushed deeply, but simply replied, "Maybe I do, but that doesn't stop me from getting onto the limo!"

Gabriella sighed, and started to get up. But then Troy scooped her up, and carried her to the limo. Chad just rolled his eyes again and led the way out of the door.

When they got to the jail, the inmates were out in the yard. Nobody took much notice, until they heard shouting. The teacher was shouting at a boy because he had stopped during their mile run. Gabriella glanced over and was suddenly white as a sheet.

"Brie, what's wrong?" asked Troy, "You look like you've seen a ghost!"

"I wish," she whispered.

Troy looked in the direction that she was staring to see Lucas looking at them through the bars, a creepy look on his face. Troy quickly took Gabriella in his arms and she hid her face in his muscular chest. Troy kissed her head and murmured that it would be okay. He glanced back at Lucas, but he was already gone. He exchanged a look with Andy. They both loved Gabriella, although in different ways, and hated to see her scared like this.

"Brie, I love you. I'll protect you. For ever and ever."

She looked up at him, smiling through her tears. "I love you, too. For ever and ever. Promise."

He kissed her chastely. It was sweet, pure, and tender, a gesture of love.

She returned his kiss, relishing in his warm embrace. Lucas wouldn't come near her when Troy was there.

……………………………….

It was a warm, sunny afternoon. Gabriella was sitting on a bench in the sun. Troy had gone to find some water for them. She stretched out in the sun, closing her eyes. She felt some warm breath tickling her face.

"Hey, Troy," she giggled.

"Hey, baby," a voice answered. Gabriella's eyes snapped open. Troy never called her baby, and that wasn't his voice.

What she saw terrified her. Lucas's hazel eyes were looking at hers. She felt something cold at her throat and saw that he had a knife. She gasped.

"That's right, pretty girl. You make me sick. Always with that bastard. You little slut. I bet you you've gone farther with him than you ever did with me. At least," he chuckled, "Willingly."

"You sick pig! Get off of me!"

"Now, now, Gabriella. Don't want a slice cut out of your pretty little neck, now, do you?"

Tears leaked out of her eyes, but she brushed them away. Troy wasn't coming to save her. She had to get out of this mess herself. She reached a finger out and ran it down his chest.

"You know, I'm only in it 'cause of his looks. But I think it's really sexy to be in jail. I like a tough guy."

Lucas laughed. "Don't lie to me. I know what you do with him."

"I do it because he's good in bed. But you're probably way better."

He moved the knife from her neck and kissed her. She returned the kiss, knowing that she had no choice. She let his hand slip up her shirt and feel her breasts, although his touch nauseated her. She felt his hands slip down her pants and tried to go along with it, but it was too much for her. She pushed him off of her, kicked him hard where it hurts, and ran inside in search of help, hopefully in the form of Troy.

Lucas was hot on her heels. He kicked himself for falling for her tricks. The truth was that she really turned him on. He wanted to rape her again, just for the pleasure. **(SHIRTLESS SCENE! Sorry, watching HSM2 and it's one of Zac's shirtless scenes. I'll shut up now.)** He never had feelings for her, she was always with her for the action. But she never gave him any. Shit, there she was, talking to that bastard. She screamed and jumped behind him when she saw Lucas.

"GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM MY GIRLFRIEND, YOU WHORE **(I know that this is normally used for girls, but…)**!" He punched him so hard in the jaw that he was down in one stroke. He lay on the floor in a pool of blood. Troy turned to Gabriella.

"Did he hurt you?"

She shook her head. "You saved me, again. I love you so much, Troy."

He hugged her close and kissed her head, then her forehead, then her nose, then her lips. "I love you, Brie. For ever and ever."

**AN: THAT'S THE END! I know, it's abrupt, but I've run out of ideas. If enough people want me to, I might write an epilogue. I'm watching HSM2, as you all know from my outburst earlier, and I'm at the really depressing part between **_**Gotta go My Own Way**_** and **_**Bet on It.**_** I'm sad. But here are the ideas for the new story!**

**1 – When Troy Bolton became a movie star, he built a wall around himself. But then he meets Gabriella Montez, freaky genius girl. Will she be enough to penitrate his shell and let his real self out?**

**2 – Troy Bolton, stuck up, self-obsessed basketball superstar, never has, and never will, love a girl. But what is it that he feels around Gabriella Montez, the new geeky girl? Will he win her over? And will it be for the right reasons?**

**3 – Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez hate each other. But they are chosen for the leads in a romantic musical. Anything could happen!**

**4 – Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez have been like brother and sister since kindergarten. With only one problem – they are both completely, and secretly, in love with each other. Will they risk their friendship to let each other know how they feel?**

**So review to tell me, one, if you want an epilogue, and, two, which story I should write first! And to tell me what you think! Love ya!**

**EMILY**


	24. Epilogue

**Disclaimer: I own Andy. I own Zoë, but that's in my other story. By the way, you should read it. If you liked this one, you'll probably like that one. I do not, however own Troy, Gabriella, High School Musical, or any of the characters. Gets it? Gots it? Good.**

**AN: I promised you an epilogue, so you'll get an epilogue. I know it's been a long wait, but I've been busy writing my new story, Best Friends, and also reading **_**Footprints in the Sand**_**, by ****Desiree Lemmon. It is possibly my favorite story on Fan Fiction. Another amazing one is Remember Me, I don't remember whom by (sorry!), but it ends on a cliffhanger, and there's only one chapter of the sequel up and the author has not been updating! But if you have not read either of these stories, you have to. I laughed and cried and laughed some more and cried some more. Same goes for the movie Step Up, which I must mention because it is one of my favorite movies of all time as of yesterday. This has been a painfully long AN, so I'll shut up and write now.**

Gabriella Bolton woke up with arms around her waist. She smiled as she turned around and saw her husband of five years smiling back at her. She laid a hand on his bare chest, running her fingers up and down his muscles. Her gentle touch sent shivers down his spine. He moved forward so that he was about to kiss her. His lips were millimeters from hers when -

The door burst open and their four-year-old son came running in. Troy groaned and buried his head in his pillow.

"Michael," Gabriella said, sternly, "How many times do I have to tell you to knock on the door and wait until we tell you that you can come in?"

The child simply smiled, his innocence shining through his face. He had no idea what he could have seen if he had waited ten minutes.

"Sorry, Mommy, but I have something to tell you!"

The proud parents exchanged glances. Troy sat up, his arm still around his wife – he would never get tired of thinking that word – and looked down at his son.

"What is it, Michael?"

"I beat my new computer game!" The preschooler beamed, as if he had announced that he had won an Olympic gold medal. Gabriella couldn't help but grin as she saw the pride and delight on her son's face.

"That's wonderful, sweetie." She got out of bed in her silky pajamas and ruffled her son's hair. He looked so much like his father, even at this young age. He had the piercing blue eyes that had grabbed Gabriella's attention that first day in the classroom. He had his father's tousled sandy-brown hair as well. He was adorable now, but she knew that he would grow up to be a complete womanizer, just like his father, until he met that special someone who would change his life and his view of things.

Gabriella smiled. Her son was four years old, and she could already tell what he would be like.

"Immagonnagoplaymorenow!" said the excited child, and he raced out of the room. Gabriella shut the door behind him, and locked it for good measure. She turned back to her husband.

"Where were we?" she asked seductively. She climbed back in bed and ran her finger up his chest. He sat up and pulled her onto his lap. She turned so that she was straddling him and he kissed her nose, then her lips. His soft lips pressed against hers and her body against his. It had been ten years, but it felt so right to have him with her still. She smiled into the kiss. She loved and she was loved. She had Troy, and now she had Michael, too. She had all that she would ever need.

**AN: I know, corny ending. And a really short chapter. Sorry. I just wanted to finish with some happy fluffy stuffy before saying adios and reading/writing some other stuff. Thanks for sticking it out the whole story!**

**EMILY**


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